


We Play In The Shadows

by words_reign_here



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Kid Fic, M/M, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski, Top Derek Hale/Bottom Stiles Stilinski, alternative universe, fight me, general Kate Argent warning, just go with it, sheriff stilinski will always be john, the hales are karate masters, there was no high school werewolf fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 21:19:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 40,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11906412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_reign_here/pseuds/words_reign_here
Summary: "This is my dad, Stiles." Emeri said and patted his belly. Emeri did not know what personal space was. "This is my godfather, Scotty." She said and patted Scott next. "This is my godmother, Allison." Emeri lowered her voice, "She works with Pops. She's a deputy." Mr. Hale nodded seriously, his full attention on Emeri. "And this is Lydia. She let dad borrow her uterus for nine months. But she's not my mom. Well. Biologically she is, but she doesn't have the legal rights."Stiles put a hand over his face and sighed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [everhaunting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/everhaunting/gifts).



> So this is a belated birthday/graduation gift to my eternal cheerleader, everhaunting. She has been the biggest cheerleader in... just about everything. There were a few parameters that she asked me to fit in here, one was a real life event that was... quite the experience. There is a lot of gushy stuff to say but she knows it. Also, she's been waiting like two months for this frickin thing with the patience of a damn saint, so let's just get on with it, shall we?
> 
> Update: This has been translated into Russian by the lovely RockerGirl and it can be found [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/5940293).

Stiles wanted to be the cool dad. He didn't want to hover over his kid's every movement. So, while Emeri scoured the school carnival grounds, Stiles sat on a slight hill, Scott at his side, eating a hot dog.

"I can't believe you are letting her out there. Alone. Without you." Scott said.

"I can see her." Stiles said and gestured to where he could see her brightly patterned shirt and mess of dark hair.

"And it helps that she brought in not just the Sheriff but also three of the Sheriff's deputies for career day, right?" Scott asked.

"The Sheriff volunteered for that, I would like you to know." Stiles said and pointed his hot dog at Scott menacingly.

"I'm sure he did."

"As did Deputy Allison." Stiles added. "And Deputy Parrish and Cortez."

"Sure." Scott said and nodded. His hair flopped a bit and Stiles patted it down helpfully.

"It's what happened." Stiles said, striving for a casual shrug. He scanned the field again, found Emeri by a booth where she seemed to be getting her face painted with two other kids.

Lydia showed up just then and stole the ice cream out of his hand. "Ah- my-" Stiles floundered and reached for his ice cream.

"I let you borrow my uterus for nine months." She said to him, the reason she used whenever she wanted anything that Stiles had. Stiles never got the feeling that she was trying to get more out of him than what he wanted to give; he would have given her the ice cream anyway, but he had to put up a small act of protest. Just to preserve his dignity.

Stiles had graduated from college with his best friend, Scott McCall, as a multimillionaire, much to the surprise of everyone who knew the two of them including the two of them. One night, while Scott was bemoaning the state of his perpetually sick dog, Sticks, and his newest health problems, Scott and Stiles come up with a brilliant idea. Using Stiles' partially finished computer science degree, they created an app that allowed people to diagnose sick pets and find the nearest and cheapest pet hospitals. It got bigger and bigger until Scott and Stiles began to look into other ways of making their idea more efficient. From there, they were able to get some pretty heavy hitters to help them start their own pet insurance, backed by the app. Medical ailments for pets were expensive, the app was a hit, and when Scott and Stiles graduated at twenty two, they were millionaires, heroes of Beacon Hills.

But Stiles didn't have it all, unlike what the tech magazines said. Upon graduation, he had been dumped, and his plans for a family went up in smoke.

The guy, David, said that Stiles was more concerned with the idea of having kids than having a husband _and_ kids. Stiles had scoffed at the idea and dated fruitlessly for three years.

He tried it all; friends, friends of friends, online dating sites, matchmakers, coffee shops, everything.

He lamented to Scott and Allison and Lydia and Kira over dinner one night about how he wouldn't have kids until he was old and gray and his dad wouldn't be around anymore and he would be too old to enjoy being a parent.

The fear paralyzed him.

Kira and Scott and Allison tried soothe him, tried to say that he was being ridiculous, that he was a great guy, that he would find someone soon and that someone would be the luckiest goddamn person on the planet.

Until Lydia set her glass down and she said with a ringing finality, "No, he's right."

Everyone, Stiles included had turned to her, mouths open.

"Lydia." Scott said softly, hurt on his friend's behalf.

"Self-fulfilling prophecy, Scott. It's what's been happening to him. He isn't looking for a partner, he's looking for someone who can give him kids because that's where his priorities are at." Lydia shrugged and looked at Stiles. "I'm not faulting you. People want what they want. You want a baby. I'll give you one."

Lydia sure knew how to shut a conversation down.

After that, everything fell into place. Under a doctor's supervision, Lydia was impregnated with Stiles' sperm and she got pregnant immediately.

For those nine months, Stiles was at her beck and call.

Allison, Kira, and Scott were in the delivery room when Emeri was born. Lydia came through like a champ and Emeri was the most perfect human being that Stiles had ever come across.

If Stiles thought he knew what love was before, the idea was completely redefined when his daughter was placed in his arms for the first time. Emeri Natasha Stilinski redefined Stiles' entire existence.

He felt, for the first time, like he was complete.

And now, eight years later, she still ruled his heart and his life even if he struggled to let go a bit.

"How is school?" Scott asked, hesitating.

"Uninspiring." Stiles muttered. For all that Stiles wanted to believe that his daughter was without a single flaw on her head, she struggled with academia in a way that Stiles didn't understand. When he complained to his father, his friends, they had no solutions. Lydia would always look a little troubled but she didn't have any words either.

It wasn't ADHD like it had been with Stiles. There was no need for glasses, there was no bullying. Emeri was simply not interested.

"On the bright side, maybe she'll grow up to be an heiress and won't have to worry about work?" Scott said.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "I hope that you said that out of some misguided way to comfort Stiles and not out of some chauvinistic attitude-"

Allison flopped down next to Scott and offered everyone a bright smile.

"-that girls don't need to work and have to be taken care of." Lydia finished.

Allison took the rest of Stiles' ice cream from Lydia.

"Definitely a misguided effort." Scott reassured Lydia.

"Dad!" Emeri called, excited. Stiles found her, dragging a beautiful blonde woman behind her. The blonde wore a vibrantly red karate uniform and was letting Emeri drag her over. She was laughing at Emeri's enthusiasm. "Dad! I won!"

"What? What did you win?" Stiles asked.

"Come _see_!" Emeri said and grabbed his hand. He in turn grabbed Scott's hand and he grabbed Allison's hand who in turn grabbed Lydia's hand. With their daisy chain intact, they followed Emeri over to a booth.

Once there, Stiles noted the giant spinning wheel marked with prizes, kicking and punching bags that he was familiar with from Allison's house, and two other people who were standing in the tent, talking to each other in low voices. The other two men had their back to Stiles and Emeri but when they turned, Stiles felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

The first one was wearing a blue uniform, his name stitched neatly over the patch on his left shoulder. _Mr. Boyd_ it read. Mr. Boyd was a wall of muscle but had an easy smile on his face. The other man was Stiles' height, and had a blue top and black pants. The pants were loose and the sleeves of both their uniforms were rolled to reveal powerful forearms. His eyes were green and warm and his smile was easy and welcoming. He seemed surprised to see four of them behind Emeri, who was still holding onto the blonde woman's hand. Stiles saw the patch on his uniform read _Mr. Hale._ Stiles finally caught sight of the woman's name on her uniform: _Miss Reyes_.

The three of them were disconcertingly good looking.

"I told you that you can't sign up to be a model." Stiles said to Emeri. "Not until after high school." He added.

That was the only side effect of having a child with Lydia that Stiles had not foreseen when he took her up on the offer; Emeri was _beautiful_.

Dark red hair, thick ringlets, naturally straight teeth, Stiles' eyelashes, Lydia's grace, and her charisma added up to a dangerous package. Stiles had found that out the hard way when they used Emeri as a model for the app online. He had been bombarded with phone calls for _months_.

"Oh- no." Mr. Hale said and stepped forward. He had an beautiful smile to top off- everything else. "Your daughter here came by our booth and said that she knew how to kick and fight and I asked her if she would maybe like to show us." Mr. Hale gestured to his two partners. "She spun the wheel and then asked if she could go get her dad and came back with everyone else." Mr. Hale's eyes twinkled with repressed laughter.

"You get Emeri, you get everyone else." Scott muttered and Lydia smiled.

"This is my dad, Stiles." Emeri said and patted his belly. Emeri did not know what personal space was. "This is my godfather, Scotty." She said and patted Scott next. "This is my godmother, Allison." Emeri lowered her voice, "She works with Pops. She's a deputy." Mr. Hale nodded seriously, his full attention on Emeri. "And this is Lydia. She let dad borrow her uterus for nine months. But she's not my mom. Well. Biologically she is, but she doesn't have the legal rights."

Stiles put a hand over his face and sighed.

When he looked up, Mr. Hale was nodding easily. "It's nice to meet everyone." He finally said. Emeri's words didn't seem to faze him at all. He turned to Stiles. "Your daughter spun the wheel and won six weeks of free classes-" Stiles raised his eyebrows at her and Emeri and Scott did their little dance victory, usually reserved for when one of them beats Stiles at Mario Kart, "So I asked her if she knew anything about karate and she said she knew how to kick and fight." Derek gestured widely as though to say _And here we all are._

Indeed.

Stiles rubbed his mouth and nodded. "Allison and her Pops showed her a few things." He allowed. He didn't mention Allison's father, Chris, who also got in on teaching Emeri a thing or two as well or the circumstances that led to the lessons.

"Do you mind?" Mr. Hale asked and nodded to Mr. Boyd. Mr. Boyd turned and grabbed one of the punching bags and Emeri smiled up at Allison. Scott was pulling his phone out of his pocket and turning the camera on.

"By all means." Stiles said.

Allison bent and whispered something to Emeri and Emeri tipped her head towards Allison and nodded. Lydia stepped behind Emeri while Allison gave her instructions and began to braid her long hair quickly and efficiently. When she was done, Emeri turned and saw that Mr. Boyd was holding up a rectangular bag.

Stiles was glad that she chose leggings today.

"Ok, let's start easy." Mr. Hale said. "Which hand do you write with?"

"Right." Emeri said, standing next to Mr. Hale, and looked up at him.

"Good." Mr. Hale said. "Now, put your right foot back-"

Emeri fell into a fighting stance easily, like it was second nature to her.

Which, at this point, it probably was.

She put her hands up, chin down and adjusted her weight to the balls of her feet. She bounced lightly, moving just enough to make it hard to know where she might attack from.

Mr. Hale looked up at Stiles, his eyebrows raised.

Stiles shrugged.

"Roundhouse." Mr. Hale said slowly.

"How many, sir?" Emeri asked.

"Five."

Her kicks didn't knock Mr. Boyd back, but Stiles knew he could feel it even through the bag. _He_ raised his own eyebrows at Stiles.

Stiles gave him a small smile.

When Emeri was done, she dropped her hands and returned to a more casual stance and grinned up at Mr. Hale. "How was that?"

Mr. Hale blinked down at her. "Kind of perfect, actually." He sounded dazed. "Blockers." He said to Miss Reyes. Mr. Boyd stepped away and Miss Reyes handed Mr. Hale two padded sticks. "You know what these are for?"

"Yup." Emeri said and smiled.

Mr. Hale looked up at Allison this time before turning back to Emeri. "Horse stance." He said.

Another position she was familiar with. Feet shoulder width apart, knees bents, hands fisted at her hips.

"Overhead." He said. He ran through all the blocks that Stiles knew she knew, overhead, outward, inward, downward.

When Mr. Hale stepped back, Miss Reyes stepped forward. Her hands were encased in padded mitts. "Ok, tough stuff," She said and Emeri and Miss Reyes exchanged a grin, "Let's see what those hands can do. Fighting stance."

Emeri did as she was asked.

"Right cross."

"Jab."

"Spinning back fist."

When Miss Reyes stepped back, she high fived not just Emeri but Scott too, who had been bouncing along with Emeri's moves, a far less coordinated shadow of what she was doing.

"How about techniques?" Mr. Hale asked and shifted forward.

Emeri tipped her head up at him and looked like the confused puppies that she and Scott hung out with sometimes. "Techniques?" She asked slowly.

"Your self defense moves, baby." Lydia whispered.

"Oh!" Emeri said and nodded. "I know a few." She held out her right hand. "Wrist grab." She instructed.

Mr. Hale did as he was asked.

"This is for when someone is trying to take you. If it happens, you are supposed to scream and cry and shout and use all the bad words you know. Make people look." Emeri said.

Stiles turned and was surprised to see a small crowd behind them.

Stiles couldn't help the small shiver of fear to see Mr. Hale's large hand around his daughter's wrist. It was almost half of her entire forearm.

"It's different for different sized people. If someone my size was doing this I could do this-" Emeri twisted her wrist to the outside of Mr. Hale's wrist and held his wrist in her own small hand and used her other forearm to push down on his elbow, pushing him down to her level. "You can break it or kick them in the face, stomach, or privates."

There was a giggle from the crowd behind them. Emeri grinned.

"But since Mr. Hale is so much bigger than me, I would have to do something else." Emeri went on. She held her hand out again and let Mr. Hale pull her in close. When he did, Emeri used an uppercut and went to punch him in his "privates" and only barely pulled her punch.

Mr. Hale was already wincing and curling around himself.

"That can work on a girl too." Emeri informed Mr. Hale.

"Yes it can." Mr. Hale said and let out a breath. He knelt so that they were face to face. "Your Pops and Allison taught you all this?"

"Pops is Sheriff around these here parts." Emeri said, affecting a southern accent and Miss Reyes lost her mind, laughed into Mr. Boyd's shoulder.

"I bet Pops is very proud of you." Mr. Hale said seriously.

Emeri only offered him a grin.

"You want to come to my school when it's ready?" Mr. Hale asked.

"Yes, please." Emeri said politely.

"Great." Mr. Hale said and offered her a high five. "I need to get your dad to sign some papers and you'll be all set. Sound good?"

"Yes, sir." Emeri said.

"I bet Miss Reyes has something for you for all your hard work." Mr. Hale said and Emeri turned to Miss Reyes who was pulling out a popsicle from a cooler behind their table.

Allison, Scott, and Lydia joined Miss Reyes and Mr. Boyd as well and Mr. Hale turned and pinned Stiles with one of the most intense looks he had ever been subjected to in his entire life. Stiles felt threatened and intrigued all at once.

"Be nice, I helped make her." Stiles reminded him.

"I would train her for free." Mr. Hale said.

"Well, you will for six weeks, from the sounds of it." Stiles said and took the clipboard that Mr. Hale was handing him.

"How long has she been training?" Mr. Hale asked.

Stiles chewed on his lower lip and thought about it. "Allison taught her how to punch when she was about six months old. It was a game. We thought it was cute. And it just..." He floundered for a moment. "-Kept going."

"But never at a school? Never formal?" Mr. Hale asked.

"There wasn't one here that I trusted. They were always those fly by night schools, gone after six months."

Mr. Hale raised his eyebrows as though to say _And what makes my school any different?_

Stiles tapped the name stitched into the karate uniform. "Talia Hale was a patron of the library, where I spend an awful lot of time. Thomas Hale was the DA that worked with Sheriff Stilinski, AKA Pops. Laura Hale runs the community pool, taught Emeri how to swim. The Hale name is one I can trust." Stiles took a deep breath and looked down. "I'm sorry about your parents. They were some of the best people I knew."

Mr. Hale's cheeks went red.

Stiles returned to the paperwork.

"Emeri is talented." Mr. Hale said again after a moment. "I haven't seen someone like her since my little sister."

"C-Cora?" Stiles said and he stopped writing and looked up at Mr. Hale.

_Derek, Derek Hale. Went to South America after the death of his parents in a car accident to train in Brazilian jujitsu with his sister and could have gone to the Olympics but Cora-_

_Cora was the talented one, the beautiful one, which was saying something in a family like the_ Hales _. Cora had the world in her hand until the accident-_

 _"_ Yeah. Did you know her?" Derek asked.

 _"_ We were in the same grade but we didn't run in the same group of friends. Cora was-" Stiles shook his head. "A whole other level."

"I'll let her know." Derek said and his grin was blinding.

"Is she really that good?" Stiles asked and lowered his voice.

Derek looked over at the table where Emeri was sitting, chatting with Mr. Boyd.

"Maybe better." Derek murmured back.

"Shit." Stiles said and signed the paperwork.

"We aren't stocked yet, the school won't open for another two weeks, but when we are ready, I can call you." Derek said and tapped the paperwork in his hands.

"Sounds good." Stiles said and offered his hand.

Derek shook it and smiled. "I look forward to seeing the both of you soon."

Stiles felt his breath catch and he wondered if Derek's hand lingered but then he looked over at the other group.

Emeri was in Scott's arms, tucked under his crooked chin, sleepy from her impromptu work out. Boyd and Allison were talking about something and Lydia and Miss Reyes were comparing lipsticks.

"I need to get my children." Stiles sighed and shook his head.

"Me too." Derek said and they shared a grin.

Stiles gathered everyone and they headed home. As they passed the gates, Stiles saw a truck with a howling wolf on the back.

 _Wolf Creek Fighters,_ it proclaimed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Stilinski kid is something else." Erica said and braced herself as Derek swung around with a roundhouse kick.  
> He didn't reply.  
> "Pretty, for sure. Talented. Funny."  
> "Well, he has to be something else to be a millionaire at our age." Derek said.  
> Erica leveled a look at Derek. "I was talking about Emeri."

Scott carried Emeri in and took her to her room. Allison and Stiles watched him go, the affection clear on both their faces.

"I need to give that man a baby." Allison said with a sigh.

"He would enjoy that." Stiles said. "Maybe he would stop trying to steal mine."

"So, Derek Hale grew up offensively pretty." Allison said.

"You think?" Stiles asked and flopped on the couch. "I didn't notice."

"Sure, babe." Allison said and Scott joined them.

"Teeth are brushed, pajamas are on, and out like a light." He reported.

"I love you." Stiles said.

"I know." Scott said.

They left shortly thereafter and Stiles got ready for bed. He checked on Emeri and laughed when he saw that she was all tucked in but her left foot. It had been the same thing she had done since she was a toddler.

*****

"The Stilinski kid is something else." Erica said and braced herself as Derek swung around with a roundhouse kick.

He didn't reply.

"Pretty, for sure. Talented. Funny."

"Well, he has to be something else to be a millionaire at our age." Derek said.

Erica leveled a look at Derek. "I was talking about Emeri."

Derek hoped the flush from his work out would hide his blush and chose not to reply.

"Are we going to run tonight?" Boyd asked.

"Might as well." Derek said. "None of us drove."

They began to strip out of their uniforms. Derek was not buying them anymore if he could help it. They shut everything down and turned the lights off in the studio and left under the shadow of the night.

Outside, they shifted, and headed back to the Preserve.

The next morning when Derek woke up, Cora was leaning over his bed, her elbows propped up on his bed, her wide eyes watching him.

"Erica and Boyd will not shut up about her. They keep going on about how awesome she is." Cora said.

Derek scrubbed at his face and glared at Cora.

"Is she?" Cora prodded.

"She's untrained, she's not a wolf, she's only eight, but-" Derek huffed and shook his head. "She's got it. She's pretty good."

"Erica didn't say good. She kept saying awesome." Cora said.

Derek nodded slowly. "One day, if she keeps at it, she might put both of us to shame."

He sat up and Cora wheeled back in her chair. The official story was that Cora had gotten into a car accident when she was training in Brazil.

The real story was a bit trickier.

Cora had gotten between a wolfsbane bullet and Derek. The bullet shattered her spine and it should have healed, but it never did. Deaton couldn't explain why.

But Cora, as she said, was "over it". She refused to dwell on it any longer and now she ran some classes at the pool that served people with disabilities. She was even working on her certification for becoming a personal trainer. She had been the one to encourage Derek to open a new school, to start teaching again.

They both went to the kitchen, where Erica and Boyd sat, eating breakfast. Laura was already gone and Derek knew she had a sunrise yoga class to teach.

Most of the karate classes that Derek was setting up would be taught after school so he had the luxury of sleeping in.

"I want to see her." Cora declared.

Boyd nodded but didn't look up from his paper. "She's awesome." He said.

*****

Stiles almost didn't answer his cell phone when it rang one day, a few weeks later. He didn't recognize the number but on the third ring he accepted the call.

"This is Stilinski." He said in an even voice.

"Hi, this is uh, Derek Hale?" The voice on the other line asked, the statement sounding like a question.

Stiles knocked his keyboard off his desk and it clattered to the floor. "Derek. Hi!" Stiles said.

"Everything ok?" He asked.

Stiles looked down at the keyboard on the floor and nodded. "Yeah. Everything's good. Just a little clumsy."

"I was calling to see if Emeri was still interested in her free lessons." Derek said, getting straight to the point.

_If she was still interested._

It was the only thing she spoke of when Stiles picked her up from school, and Derek, Boyd, and Erica's names came up with an alarming frequency.

"Yes, for sure." Stiles said and leaned back in his chair.

"Great! When do you think she'll want to come in?" Derek asked. "I have a couple of times free this week-"

"Whatever is your soonest opening, Derek. Oh my god. You and your school is all she has talked about since the carnival." Stiles said.

"Oh." There was a pause and Stiles thought he heard Erica's voice in the background. "If you want, you can bring her in today. We'll do an orientation, get her her first belt, go through some pretty basic moves, and get her a uniform and patches."

Stiles felt something loosen in his chest. He had had some misgivings when he had driven by the small studio that Derek had listed on a flyer that Stiles had taken when he had left the Wolf Creek Fighters tent. It didn't look like much on the outside and Stiles was worried that despite the Hale name, it was going to fall through too.

"That's great. Does she need to bring anything with her?" Stiles said.

"Water, Gatorade, whatever she prefers."

They set a time down and said goodbye.

He sent a mass text out to his friends and his dad. _Karate today at 6PM._

After school, Stiles helped Emeri with her homework, made sure she ate, and then ushered her into the old blue Jeep.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To a place." Stiles said.

"Where is it?"

"North."

"Does it have a name?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope."

Emeri accepted that, understanding how stubborn her father could be, and how he loved to surprise her with things. She played with a small Lego plane that she found in the depths of the Jeep and didn't pay attention to where they were going until Stiles pulled into a parking spot. He led her up some stairs to the studio and he had to check the address twice to make sure it was the right place.

When they walked in, Erica was seated behind a desk. There were white, blue, red, and black uniforms on display behind her. Staffs, swords, and other weapons that Stiles could not identify were also out and on the walls.

"Holy cow." Emeri whispered.

Stiles nodded. Erica grinned and winked at both of them. "Sensei is around the corner." She said.

"Oh, Derek isn't-?" Stiles asked.

Erica's grin became a little sly. "Derek _is_ sensei." She informed him.

Stiles nodded. Emeri slipped her hand in his and together they walked through another doorway and into the largest part of the studio.

Right in front of them were small tables and clusters of chairs, all gathered together in a very informal setting. To one side of the chairs were cubbies and above the cubbies was a calendar and other informational posters and dry erase boards. The chairs were facing the mats, where Derek and Boyd were warming up.

There were punching bags at the far end and neatly stacked punching and kicking targets. Along one wall, there was a line of mirrors. The mats themselves were red and blue, creating three separate squares. There were black lines of heavy duty tape at intervals across the mat. There was a water fountain and bathrooms near the back of the studio.

On the back wall was a series of photographs and when Stiles studied them, he was surprised to see they were action shots of Laura, Derek, and Cora, clearly during competitions.

Cora wore a black uniform and she was caught half a second before kicking an opponent in the chest.

Derek had a staff in his hand, parallel with his leg, his mouth open as though he were yelling.

Laura was flinging someone over her shoulder.

"Wow." Emeri whispered.

Stiles nodded.

"What do you think?" Derek asked, approaching them, his arms wide.

Stiles and Emeri nodded, eyes wide, still staring.

Derek laughed and said, "I'm glad you like it. How about a tour?" He said.

"Yes, please." Emeri said.

"Ok, we'll start here." Derek said and before he left the mat, he bowed and then gestured to the cubbies. "We don't ever, ever wear our shoes on the mat and we usually take our socks off too. So we take them off and we put them in there. Go ahead."

Emeri slipped her socks and shoes off and put them in a cubby. She took the bottle of Gatorade from her dad and put it in the same one. Derek explained the calendar of events, the belt rankings on display and paused when he heard the bell above the front door ring.

Stiles turned, ready to greet Scott, but paused when he saw that he was not alone. He had Allison with him, of course, and Jackson and Lydia, naturally, and Kira too; but he also had two other women that Stiles had not been introduced to yet.

"Sorry." Scott panted and Stiles noticed he and Jackson were sweating. "The elevator was out and Laura couldn't get Cora up here without help, so-" He gestured to himself and Jackson and also Allison and Kira who seemed to have helped get her wheelchair up the stairs.

"Our fault." Laura said easily and she looked at Derek steadily and there was some silent eyebrow communication there and Derek nodded.

"Do you have your landlord's information?" Lydia asked.

"Uh oh." Emeri and Stiles said.

"Erica should-" Derek said.

"We'll have words about that elevator." Lydia said and put a hand on Cora's shoulder.

She looked up at Lydia's touch. "Thank you." She said.

Lydia nodded and left the studio to call the landlord.

"She's a lawyer." Stiles said.

"Oh." Derek said and nodded.

"Sorry, Der, go on." Cora said quietly.

Derek nodded and gestured for Emeri to join him at the edge of the mat. "Every time we get on the mat or leave the mat, we bow. It's a way of showing respect for our classmates and teacher and our school where we are learning. So just put your hands to your sides, bow," Derek showed her and Emeri copied him, "And now you are free to get on the mat."

Derek stepped on the mat, Emeri followed, and Stiles sat in the front row of chairs. He twisted his hands in his lap and watched as Derek led Emeri around the mat, spoke to her, and showed her all the things that were displayed.

Cora rolled her chair up next to him and Laura fell into the chair next to him. Cora patted his hands. "Don't worry." She told him.

"This is where Derek excels." Laura informed him in a low voice. "Cora and I might have been the ones winning all the competitions, but Derek's students always out-performed ours."

"Really?" Stiles asked.

"Swear to you." Cora said. "He knows how to bring out the best in everyone."

Stiles nodded and let out a breath. "Ok." He said. Of all the people in the studio, these two would know their stuff.

"First thing's first," Derek said and Stiles turned back to the mat. "When we train, we wear a special uniform." Erica came out and handed a white one to Derek. "You can put it on now or-"

"Now, please, sir!" Emeri said and danced from foot to foot.

Derek laughed and handed it over to her. "You know where the bathrooms are."

Emeri took off for the bathroom but stopped when the mat ended and the tile floor that led to the bathroom began. "Sensei?" She called.

Derek turned to her.

"Do I bow here, too?" She asked.

"Good question!" Derek said. "And yes, every time your toes leave the mat, you bow."

Emeri bowed and turned into the girls bathroom. Derek approached Stiles with a small plastic bag in his hand. He bowed off the mat and crouched down in front of Stiles. He handed the bag over. "Patches." He said. "There are instructions in there that tell you where to put them and if you need suggestions, I can give you a list of seamstresses around that can do it for you pretty quickly."

Stiles studied it. "I can do it." He said.

He felt Jackson peer over his shoulder. "That's cake." He said.

"You sew?" Cora asked.

"Jackson taught me how." Stiles said and went through the patches.

"Wow." Laura said. "I don't even know how to make a sewing machine do that thing where it goes."

Jackson tried so hard not to laugh. Stiles gave her a small smile.

"Allison!" Emeri hissed, her head peeked around the corner. She waved at Allison to follow her in and, after slipping her shoes off, Allison bounded across the mat. A few moments later, Emeri came out, proudly showing off her new uniform. She spun around so that the three howling wolves on the back of her uniform could be seen as well. Derek bowed back onto the mat and stood in front of his only student.

"Ready?" Derek said.

"Yes, sir!" Emeri called out.

Laura and Cora turned to Stiles.

"That's Allison's influence." Stiles muttered but that did nothing to stop the pride in his voice.

They went through some warm ups, stretches, even had Boyd and Erica join in on the fun. Derek gave Emeri a water break and Stiles pulled a towel out from the small bag she had brought and wiped her forehead.

"Fun?" He asked.

Emeri nodded but didn't stop drinking. She bowed back onto the mat and stood in front of Derek.

"Ready for some punches and kicks?" Derek asked.

"Yes, sir!" She called out again. Boyd tossed a few bags at Derek and they ran through much of the same things they did at the school carnival.

After they were done, Derek sat down, crosslegged on the mat. He invited Emeri to do the same. "So." He said.

Emeri propped her chin up on her hand.

"Tell me what you know about karate."

"I know how to get away from someone who picks me up from behind. I know how to get out of a wrist pull-"

"I remember." Derek said and Boyd snickered.

"I know how to get out of wrist pull that tran- trans-" She turned to Stiles.

"Transitions." He said.

"Right! Yeah. That transitions to an ankle grab." Emeri said.

"Why don't you show me that one?" He asked and they both stood.

Emeri hesitated and then looked to Jackson. Jackson looked right back at her and then she looked up at Derek.

"Would you like Jackson to help you?" Derek guessed.

"If that's ok." Emeri said quietly.

"Sure thing." Derek said easily.

Jackson untied his shoes and Stiles had to wonder if he knew what was going to be happening because he was wearing loose pants and a t-shirt.

He joined Derek and Emeri on the mat and on the other side of Laura, Allison leaned forward a bit.

Jackson took her wrist in his hand and began to jerk her firmly backwards. Emeri fell on her butt and kicked out with her feet, barely missing Jackson's face.

"Let go!" She yelled and even Derek twitched at her voice. "You asshole, let go of me! There's a man touching me!"

"Jesus." Laura muttered and reached for Cora's hand that was already clutching Stiles'. Stiles knew first hand the effect his daughter's voice had, screaming, using words she wasn't otherwise allowed to use. Stiles had been uncomfortable with it until Chris pointed out that the more attention she drew to herself, the more people that witnessed her potentially being taken, the better the chance she had of getting away.

Jackson dodged another near kick and then let go of her wrist and threw her legs to the side. He got a hold of her wrist once more and began to pull her back firmly.

This time, she switched her hold, squirmed around until her legs were locked around one of his ankles and she wrapped her arms around his other ankle. Then she threw her small weight against the back of Jackson's knees, sent him to the ground, grabbed one ankle, put it under her arm pit so that the top of his foot was snug against the the back of her shoulder, wrapped her small arm around the back of his calf and arched her back.

Jackson immediately tapped out and Emeri released him.

Laura and Cora let out a long breath at the same time.

Derek nodded. "Can you do it again? Faster?" He asked.

"Sure." Emeri said and Jackson stood up.

"Would you mind using Miss Erica this time?" Derek asked. He must have known that he was physically imposing on Emeri who was still slight for her age.

Emeri looked to Stiles. "It's up to you." Stiles said softly.

"Ok." Emeri said.

Erica stepped out of the corner and approached Emeri. "Ok, tough stuff. Let's see what you got." She said and winked at Emeri.

Emeri laughed and held out her hand. She repeated the move, faster, and thus a little harder. When Emeri had Erica's foot in the ankle hold and began to arch her back, there was a flash of pain on her face before Erica tapped out.

"Who taught her jujitsu?" Cora whispered.

"Honestly, whatever she knows has been cobbled together from Allison, my dad, Allison's dad, and some of the deputies at the station." Stiles whispered. "I can't even tell different styles apart."

"Allison's dad is the one with jujitsu knowledge." Lydia murmured from behind them.

They continued for another thirty minutes and when they were done, Emeri was flushed and exhausted. She grinned at her dad from where she was splayed out on the mat. Stiles smiled back at her.

"Dude, your braids are getting better." Scott said when he saw Emeri's braids as they began to clean up.

"So much practice. And YouTube." Stiles muttered.

"Derek can show you some trade secrets." Cora said.

"Really?" Stiles said. He looked over to see Derek bouncing around on the balls of his feet, shadow boxing with Boyd as Emeri copied his moves next to him.

"Oh yeah. Our parents couldn't always make it to class or tournaments and he would have to do it." Laura said. "And after they passed away-" She shrugged.

"Huh." Stiles said.

They all finally made their way to the front of the studio and Erica leaned against the counter, a clipboard in hand.

"So we were wanting to do a schedule," Erica began, "But we weren't sure of times. We figured we could base it off Emeri's schedule, kind of, and go from there."

"Ok." Stiles said.

"What days would work best for you guys?" Erica asked.

"All of them. All of the days. Can I come back tomorrow?" She asked and tipped a hopeful face up at Stiles. "Please? Maybe Pops can come watch?"

Stiles thought about it and nodded. "Sure." He said and turned to Erica. "We don't have a lot going on after school other than homework so this time works well for us. Dinner and homework are usually taken care of by now."

"Great." Erica said and scrawled something down on the paper in her hand. "We aren't open on the weekends and probably won't be unless the school starts filling up, but for now, it's just Monday through Friday, tests and tournaments on Saturdays. But those come later."

"And this-" Derek said, coming in through a door that led from the mats into the front office, "Is Emeri's." He said and handed it over to Stiles.

It was a white belt with her name embroidered into it in black thread.

"Next time you get a belt with your name on it like that, it's going to be your very first black belt." Derek said. He booped her on the head with it gently and then made his way around the counter. "So, Stiles, this is your job..."

Stiles watched intently as Derek showed him the correct way to tie Emeri's belt and then they were outside and the fresh air felt nice on their cheeks.

"There's fro-yo downstairs." Kira said.

Stiles waved once more at Derek and they all headed downstairs for the the frozen yogurt that Stiles was going to make Scott buy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Peter eventually lost interest but we didn't. Then we got too good for the gym. Dad found us a teacher. And then another teacher. And then another..." Laura winced when Derek swung at Emeri and she blocked it. "Anyway, we kept going. It wasn't even mom and dad pushing us. It was Derek starting, me following, both of us pulling Cora. We pushed each other to be better and better at whatever it was. For Cora it was competition. For me it was sparring. For Derek?" Laura finally tore her eyes from Derek and Emeri. "It was always this."

"Did you get anything off her?" Derek asked as soon as he heard the others troop down the stairs and were out of hearing range.

"Like...?" Laura prodded.

"Something not human." Derek said. "She's _fast_."

Laura nodded and looked over at Erica. Erica shook her head. "I didn't get anything. I mean, other than the fact that she knows her way around an ankle lock."

"Me either." Cora said.

Derek looked at Boyd who shook his head.

"They started her as a baby, teaching her stuff that people don't learn until they are a teenager. Maybe that's why." Laura added.

Derek nodded and he heard the bell ring above the door and some parents greeting Erica. Potential students.

Derek let the subject drop and plastered a smile on his face as he greeted the newcomers.

*****

"The Stilinski baby?" Deaton asked, his eyebrow raised.

"She's eight." Derek said.

"Your parents used to refer to all three of you as babies as long as they were alive." Deaton said drily.

"I'm the oldest!" Derek protested.

"By eight minutes." Laura reminded him.

"You know what I mean." Deaton said.

"So are they... anything?" Derek asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"I knew Claudia was a little," Deaton paused and finished tying off stitches on a poodle in front of him, "Sparky, but no. Why?"

"She's fast. She's a quick learner. She doesn't seem to know her own strength." Derek said and tipped his head at Erica.

"She gave me a pretty bad sprain." Erica admitted.

"Hm." Deaton said but shook her head. "I don't know." He finally said with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

*****

When Stiles parked the Jeep the next day, he barely had time to turn off the engine before Emeri was barreling up the stairs to the studio. He followed at a more sedate pace and was not surprised to see Laura and Cora there once again. They settled themselves in chairs as Derek and Emeri began to warm up on the mat.

"How did you all get started in this?" Stiles asked Laura quietly

"Peter was going through a phase. He was going to a gym, took Derek with him one day. Derek fell in love with it and if Derek was going to do it, then I was going to do it. And if both of us were going to do it, then Cora was going to do it too, whether she wanted to or not." Laura said.

Cora nodded.

"Peter eventually lost interest but we didn't. Then we got too good for the gym. Dad found us a teacher. And then another teacher. And then another..." Laura winced when Derek swung at Emeri and she blocked it. "Anyway, we kept going. It wasn't even mom and dad pushing us. It was Derek starting, me following, both of us pulling Cora. We pushed each other to be better and better at whatever it was. For Cora it was competition. For me it was sparring. For Derek?" Laura finally tore her eyes from Derek and Emeri. "It was always this."

Stiles nodded. "He is good at what he does."

They watched Derek and Emeri in relative silence. As they were leaving, another family was coming in and Stiles nodded at them.

He wondered why it was just Emeri for these couple of classes. He turned and looked back into the office and saw that Laura was watching them and he waved. She waved back.

In the studio, Derek was giving the new family a tour of the place.

*****

"Who's Derek?" Melissa asked and propped her chin up on her hand.

"Derek- he's Emeri's new karate teacher." Stiles said. "Why?"

His father passed the potatoes and Scott and Allison watched Stiles closely.

"Because Emeri has been talking about him nonstop. I thought that maybe he was a tutor or something." Melissa said.

"No. She won some free classes and now she's going every day after school."

"How's that working out with her school work and all?" John asked.

Stiles looked over at Emeri where she was sprawled out on the couch, some cartoons on.

"Fine." Stiles sighed. "I mean, as well as could be expected."

John nodded. "She'll get it, son. I recall school not exactly being your favorite thing ever at her age."

Stiles nodded.

"Derek what?" John went. "I'd like to check this guy out."

"Derek Hale." Allison said.

John choked on his potatoes. "Emeri is taking karate lessons from a _Hale_?" He finally said.

"She got in on her own merit." Stiles said. "She won the lessons and then impressed him herself. I was just there to be impressed too and sign the paperwork."

"A _Hale_?" John asked again.

"I didn't even know Derek was back." Melissa said.

"A few months ago. Him and Laura closed the school in South America and came back up here. They brought two others with them, Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd from the school too." Scott said. "Cora said that they missed being here."

"Cora." Melissa said and nodded. "I've seen her around the the hospital. How is she doing?"

"Fine, by all accounts." Allison said. "She is teaching some lessons at the pool with Laura and she's there at Derek's school a lot."

"Is that good for her?" John asked.

Stiles blanched. He hadn't even thought about it.

"No one is forcing her to be there." Scott said. "Laura told me that she looks forward to coming to the school to see Emeri. I guess Cora and Derek are working on a curriculum just for Emeri."

" _Cora Hale_?" John said.

"You keep talking about the Hales like they are superheroes." Stiles said.

John shifted and Melissa looked at him meaningfully. "I'm just worrying that it's a lot for Emeri with her schoolwork and all."

"I wouldn't let her do this if I didn't think she could handle it. And Derek seems pretty open if I need to pull her out or slow it down for whatever reason." Stiles said. "If her grades suffer anymore than they already do, then that's it. We're done."

"If you think she's good for it." John said, nodding.

"I think she is." Stiles said and looked over at Emeri, who was nodding off on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They all piled into an Uber and drove a town over to their favorite pub. As usual, on a Friday night, it was packed. Luckily for them, Kira and Jackson, who jointly own the pub, had their table saved for them. When they saw Kira and Jackson already seated, the group made their way over to them. There was already a couple of pitchers of beer in the middle of the table and glasses set out for them. As soon as they were seated, two waitresses swept by and set chips and salsa down in front of them.

After six weeks of classes and Emeri still being Derek's only student, he cornered Boyd one day.

"So, I know this is a weird question and probably inappropriate-"

"From you?" Boyd asked drily. "I'd be shocked."

"But," Stiles went on, "Is Derek's school doing ok?"

"Yeah." Boyd said and smirked. "Why?"

"Because Emeri is the only one here." Stiles half whispered.

"Oh." Boyd looked around the the studio, like he was just realizing that they were the only people there. "Emeri's lessons are private because she's a beginner but she _really_ isn't. Derek doesn't want her in with the other kids just yet, until she has a little more control, but yeah. The school isn't going anywhere." Boyd clapped him on the back and Stiles stumbled a bit.

"Her lessons are private?" Stiles asked but Boyd was already striding towards where Derek was beckoning him. He turned to Erica who was going over some papers in her hand. She raised her eyebrows at him to signal that she was listening but didn't raise her eyes. "Shouldn't I be paying more for private lessons?" He asked her.

She made a small mark on the paper with a pencil and looked up. "You already are." She said. "Standard lessons are three times a week, forty-five minutes each."

"Emeri is here every day, an hour and a half." Stiles pointed out, like Erica didn't already know.

"Thus you are charged two twenty-five a week as opposed to the regular one forty nine a week we would charge new students." Erica said.

"Oh." Stiles nodded. He went back to his seat and watched Emeri carefully watch Derek put Boyd in an arm lock. Then he stood up and went back to the front where Erica was staring at a new stack of paper and her fingers were flying over a ten key. "Why?" He asked.

"Hold on." She muttered. A moment later, she paused, made another small mark on her paper and turned to him. She sighed and looked at him. She gave him a small smile. "Derek will be up here in a minute to talk to you about it, ok?"

Stiles nodded and took a step back so he wasn't hovering over her shoulder while she did whatever complicated number thing she was doing. He looked over his shoulder, out the window, and wondered how close Thomas Hale and the Sheriff really were.

A few minutes later, Derek showed up in the doorway behind the counter and made his way out from behind it and gestured to the door. He was a little sweaty and his hair was flat against his head. "Let's walk." He said. "Erica, go work on some blocks and punches, would you?"

"Yes, sir." Erica said and went through the doorway to the studio.

Stiles nodded numbly and when they passed the plate glass window that had the howling wolves and advertised Wolf Creek Fighters, he saw Emeri in her horse stance, punching a bag that Boyd held as Erica watched.

Derek cleared his throat and Stiles couldn't help but notice that he was still in his bare feet.

"I thought it was just something cute that started early in her life. Her family is populated by law enforcement. Even Chris Argent sells weapons." Derek began. "But then it seemed a bit much. How she took to fighting so well. But then I just figured it was because she was a natural. But that didn't sit right either." Derek looked over at Stiles and Stiles nodded.

"Someone told you." Stiles murmured. "Allison?"

Derek nodded. "And your dad. They stopped by the other day. And I got it. I understand."

Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall were millionaires living the lives of every day people. At the beginning, they thought that it was just having a lot of numbers in their bank account.

Then Stiles had Emeri.

Then, the threats started.

They were laughable at first but then became much more specific and more targeted. Emeri's fun lessons with Allison and her father weren't just about wearing her out so that she could sleep the night through. It became about her learning how to take care of herself should the need ever rise. Especially if there wasn't someone there to help her, like the threats had implied.

But she was also a natural.

Thomas Hale had been alerted because he was the district attorney. John had been told because he was the Sheriff and her grandfather. They worked to try and find where the threats had come from but they hadn't been able to figure it out. They eventually tapered off. Then the accident had happened to the Hales and the threats were almost forgotten.

They would still show up sometimes, but it wasn't as much. Stiles would like to think whoever was fixating on her was losing interest.

But she was his little girl and he couldn't be too cautious.

"Private lessons because you can afford it," Derek said and raised an eyebrow at him and Stiles huffed out a small laugh, "And because she's too advanced to be in a class with kids her age. And because I'm teaching her things that-" He looked back over his shoulder at he plate glass window, "That most kids don't know. I don't want to teach her a lot of control either. If someone comes for her, I want her to put them down and I don't want them to get back up."

Stiles nodded and there was a lump in his throat.

Derek understood.

"Eventually, she'll be in a class with other kids but right now, I think this is her best bet."

"Thank you." Stiles finally got out.

"You're the one paying extra." Derek reminded him.

"You didn't have to do this. I know you have to be structuring your entire school schedule around her lessons." Stiles said.

Derek looked down at her bare feet and nodded. "Money isn't always the big concern. Not with either one of us, right?"

Stiles nodded.

"I teach because I'm good at it and if it keeps one kid safe," Derek shrugged, "That's a kind of payment that you can't get from a bank."

*****

It was three weeks later and Stiles was dropping Emeri off at his dad's house for her monthly weekend of being spoiled by Melissa and John.

"What are your plans for the night?" John asked.

"Allison and Scott are dragging me out to JK. Hopefully we can get a pool table." Stiles said.

"Who's DD?" John asked.

"Uber." Stiles said.

"Call if you need anything." John said and then Melissa and Emeri were yelling for him.

As Stiles pulled away from house, Emeri came out on the porch and blew kisses at him and waved. Stiles did the same thing and waited until Emeri went back inside before heading over to Scott's condo.

When he walked in to the condo, Scott was watching something on tv and Lydia and Allison were standing by some outfits they had laid out on the couch.

For Stiles.

"I'm dressed! I am a grown adult! A father, even!" Stiles said.

"You are not going out with us in a Star-Lord t-shirt." Allison said.

"Pick one." Lydia said.

Stiles finally sighed and picked out maroon skinny jeans, black Vans, and a black t-shirt. He gave in easily because he knew that's what would happen anyway and he was hungry.

They all piled into an Uber and drove a town over to their favorite pub. As usual, on a Friday night, it was packed. Luckily for them, Kira and Jackson, who jointly own the pub, had their table saved for them. When they saw Kira and Jackson already seated, the group made their way over to them. There was already a couple of pitchers of beer in the middle of the table and glasses set out for them. As soon as they were seated, two waitresses swept by and set chips and salsa down in front of them.

"Usual?" Kira asked.

Everyone agreed and she nodded at the waitresses. They left and everyone turned to each other. Scott raised his glass first and they all followed suit.

"Another week conquered." Lydia said.

They drank.

It was a tradition that had started in college and one they had continued through to the present day. It wasn't always at the pub. Sometimes it was at the McCall condo. Sometimes it was at Stiles' house. But once a month, they all made the effort to get together and be the carefree kids they once were.

It was a cathartic exercise that worked the best when Stiles was a stressed out first time parent, when Jackson lost his parents, when Scott fought with his father, when Allison had a hard week at work, when Kira fought with her mother, and when Lydia had more cases than she knew what to do with.

"How's karate?" Jackson asked.

"I think Emeri almost broke Derek's ankle the other day." Scott said. "It certainly seemed like it anyway. But he was ok." He shrugged.

"She's so good." Allison said. "I knew that she could be when she got a real teacher, but then she got the _Hales_?" She snorted and Stiles wondered how she made it sound cute. "Now she's just ridiculous."

"Good." Kira muttered fiercely.

The conversation turned to other subjects and they eventually all finished their dinner and stood to go to the bar and pool hall next door, also owned by Kira and Jackson.

As usual, there were no pool tables available but they did have a high top table reserved for them in the back corner. Allison led them over to it and they all seated themselves except for Jackson who went to the bar for another couple of pitchers.

They all fell into an easy conversation, sometimes shouting over the crowd of people around them, sometimes over the classic rock playing on the speakers.

"Hey-" Jackson said and leaned around Scott and looked into the crowd of people. "Is that Erica?"

They all turned to see that Erica was indeed at a pool table, wearing jeans so tight they looked painted on and with her blonde hair down and curled. She was wielding a pool stick like a weapon and laughing at something that Laura was saying to Derek-

_Derek._

Stiles flailed and caught Allison's hand and she was such a good friend that she didn't even have to ask; she just patted his hand and leaned over to whisper, "Aren't you glad we made you change?"

Derek's hair wasn't sweaty and flat like it normally was. It was styled and gelled in place. He wasn't wearing a loose fitting karate uniform. No, his jeans were skinny and the v-neck shirt he wore was molded to his shoulders. He was smiling and laughing at his sister too.

"Good thing you know CPR." Jackson said to Allison and fanned Stiles with a menu.

"Breathe, buddy." Scott reminded Stiles.

"Are you all seeing this?" Stiles asked.

The four of them, Boyd, Laura, Erica, and Derek broke out in a round of laughter and Stiles forgot how to breathe again.

"Go tell them to join us." Kira said as Jackson signaled a waiter to bring another table over to theirs.

"Really? You guys-" Stiles started.

"Oh, wait." Allison said and put a hand on Stiles' arm.

"What?" Stiles said.

Allison tipped her head at the group. Stiles didn't see anything out of place until he couldn't find Laura. When he finally did set his eyes on her, some guy was talking to her and she didn't look like she was into it.

At all.

In fact Stiles watched as she shook her head and went to pass by the guy. The guy took hold of her wrist and Allison stood up, her hand going to the holster at her waist.

There was too much of a distance and too many people between Laura and Derek for Derek to hear what was going on. In fact, he seemed engrossed in conversation with a guy Stiles had not noticed before. Derek's eyebrows were knitted delicately in concern and all the laughter that was on his face only moments earlier was gone. The guy smirked and gestured to the table and Derek's smile returned, wide and beautiful.

"What is going on?" Stiles asked.

"Ugh." Kira said and looked at Jackson.

"The Cartwright brothers. They bring in a new set of girls every week and for some reason they have it in their heads that the table that Derek is at is _theirs_." Kira snarled.

"He even went so far as telling one of the bartender's that we made them a standing reservation for that table." Jackson said.

"Who's the guy that's trying to get Laura's attention?" Scott asked. He was standing as well.

"The youngest brother." Allison said. "Has five DWIs to his name at the age of twenty-two."

"Their mom must be so proud." Lydia said and took a drink from her beer. She seemed entirely unconcerned about the scene unfolding in front of them.

The oldest brother pushed Derek.

"Oh." Stiles said softly. "Oh, no."

"Are you obligated to step in right away?" Kira asked.

"She's out of her jurisdiction." Lydia said and took another drink. "So, no. She actually probably shouldn't." And shot a look at Allison who reluctantly moved her hand away from her holster.

They all turned back to the older brother who was still pushing Derek. Derek looked confused, like he didn't understand what this guy could possibly be thinking and maybe he didn't. Boyd leaned against the table and took a drink from his glass, his eyes going between Laura who was all but snarling and Derek who still looked perplexed at this guy who was attempting to push him. Erica had her hip against the pool table and she was studying her nails and two girls, presumably the Cartwright brothers dates for the evening, approached her. They eyed her like she was competition and from the way one of the other brothers kept looking at her, she probably was.

It was a competition Erica had no interest in either participating or winning.

The guy in front of Derek took a swing and Derek stepped to the side. The guy missed and Boyd hooted with laughter. Derek grinned at him.

Stiles wondered if he was drunk.

He didn't have time to consider the thought when the guy who was too close to Laura suddenly lost his footing and slammed face first into the ground. Stiles had no doubt that was Laura's doing.

Everything erupted into chaos.

The two girls that were by Erica reached for her but Erica grabbed one by the wrist, shoved her viciously into the other one, and Stiles heard one of them screech as they both fell over in their heels. Boyd caught the second brother trying to swing at Derek's unguarded back and hit him so hard everyone at the table winced.

The second brother did not get up, which was probably the smartest decision of the night.

The move distracted Derek into looking back and the first brother took the opportunity to swing at Derek and made contact with his jaw. Stiles saw the blood on his chin and lip in a vivid, sickening display.

The youngest brother, still trying to show Laura a thing or two, stood and lurched at her. In a flurry of movement too fast for Stiles to follow, she had him on his stomach, one arm pulled back and up, as she knelt on the back of neck, her knee pressing him face down to the sticky floor.

Stiles turned back to Derek and the first brother. The first brother broke a pool stick on the table and Stiles heard Kira curse under her breath and for the first time, Jackson stood. The guy swung at Derek and Derek stepped in, blocked the guy's hit with his own forearm, jerked what was left of the pool stick out of his hand and, copying his sister's move, slammed his face down onto the pool table. He put the jagged end to the guy's throat.

Stiles was up and pushing through the crowd before he could second guess himself and he felt someone's hands grasping at his shirt ( _Scott? Lydia?_ ) and then he was at the front of the crowd, pressed against the pool table that Derek was at. He stood directly across from Derek, the pool table between them. For a moment, Stiles didn't know what he was doing and he could only stare at Derek's chest as he breathed in deeply and slowly and his hand clutching the pool stick shook a little bit.

"Derek?" Stiles said softly.

Derek's head snapped up and for a second, there was a glimmer of red but Stiles must have been seeing things or had more beer than he thought because-

No.

It was just his green eyes.

"Stiles." Derek said and grinned. He still looked good even if his lips and teeth were painted red. "What are you doing here?" He asked conversationally, as though he weren't holding a guy down with a fucking spear to his throat.

"My friends own this place." Stiles said and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. He didn't know how he was having such an easy conversation with Derek, given the circumstances. It was probably the four pitchers of beer they had all put away already. Scott was just behind him and Jackson and Kira were on their way over too. "We come here once a month for drinks and food and sometimes pool."

"You play?" Derek said.

"Not _well_." Stiles said. He blinked and looked over at Boyd who had resumed his position of leaning against the other pool table. "Hey Boyd." He said. He waved awkwardly.

"This beer is excellent. My compliments." He told Stiles seriously and raised his glass at Kira and Jackson just behind Stiles.

"Which one did you get?" Kira asked. She was always into customer research.

"Apple cider." Boyd said and nodded.

The guy below Derek whimpered a little bit and Derek turned his gaze back down.

"Get off of me, you stupid bitch!" The guy underneath Laura screamed. His voice broke in the middle of his sentence.

"Tell him to apologize." Derek said through gritted teeth.

"You son of a-" The guy below Derek started and began to struggle. Amazingly enough, Derek let him stand, then kicked his feet out from underneath him and struck his neck at the same time and Stiles winced when he heard the guy's head hit the floor.

"Hey, um, maybe don't kill anyone?" Stiles suggested gently from behind Derek. He felt Erica pat his back.

"Apologize. To. My. Sister." Derek said, like he didn't hear what Stiles had said.

The first brother was shaking with anger but he told the other one to do it. The second brother mumbled some apology and Laura and Derek let them up. Derek held his hand out to her, helped her step over the guy Laura had been holding down and the other two brothers hauled themselves up.

"Pick up your trash and get out of here." Derek snarled and pointed at the guy Boyd had probably knocked unconscious.

"Don't come back." Laura added. "Next time, these guys might not be here to stop us."

It took the Cartwrights a moment to gather their brother and their dates and leave the brewery but when they did, everyone else relaxed a notch.

Derek stepped over to Jackson and Kira and offered them his hand. "I'm sorry." He said immediately. "I'll pay for the cleaning and the pool stick, whatever other damage-"

Jackson waved his hand away. JK Brewery was making money hand over fist these days. A pool stick was nothing. "If they don't come back, we'll call it even."

"If they do come back, you can always call us." Laura said, a smile growing on her face. "We wouldn't mind."

"Do you guys want to come sit?" Stiles said and gestured to their table that now had another pushed up against it.

Derek looked back at the table they had been playing at and shrugged. "Yeah, we're done." He said. The remaining people parted around them as they headed over to the table and sat down. Thanks to some manipulation on what looked like several people's parts, Stiles and Derek ended up sitting next to each other.

A waitress came by and placed a pitcher in front of Boyd, "Apple cider." She said. Then she put another in between Derek and Stiles, "Raspberry wheat." She paused and took some napkins out of her apron and a glass of water and put them in front of Derek and then offered him a small mirror. "The waitresses say thank you." She said before she started to take their orders of another round of appetizers and patted Kira on the back when she left. Derek blinked at her retreating back before dipping a few of the napkins in the water and using the mirror to wipe away the blood on his chin.

The conversation around them resumed.

Derek leaned across the table to Scott. "So I hear you are the man to talk to about adopting a dog."

Scott positively lit up. "Yes." He said eagerly. Then he reigned in his enthusiasm. "I don't deal in purebreds or pedigrees though. Unless they are rescued from a mill, which happens more than you would think. I mostly help out a vet I know and the humane society. So if you were looking for something like that, I could probably direct you but-"

Derek shook his head. "Nope. We want something..." He looked over to Laura and Erica.

"Cute." Laura said.

"That's it?" Scott asked and took a drink.

"Yep." Erica said.

"Big, little?" Scott asked. "Allergies? Do you have a yard? Kids?"

"We live out on the Preserve." Boyd reminded Scott. "Got lots of room."

"No allergies. No kids." Erica added.

"Just Cora." Derek added.

"...cute." Laura stated again.

"Oh, I can do cute." Scott said fiercely.

Allison patted his arm. "They only want the one dog, honey."

Scott didn't reply. Stiles wondered if Derek was going to walk out of the vet's office or animal shelter with more than one dog.

"How goes the life, Officer McCall?" Boyd asked Allison.

"Oh, you know. Rounding up delinquents. Issuing traffic tickets. I got a dog out of a tree the other day." She said thoughtfully.

"Not a cat?" Laura asked.

"Nope. It was a dog." Allison said and eyed Lydia.

"Prada is a dog of many talents." Lydia huffed.

Everyone laughed and Derek leaned back in his seat and threw his arm around the back of Stiles' chair. The movement was so natural and easy that Stiles wondered if Derek even knew what he had just done.

"So, if you don't mind me asking-" Erica started.

"Erica." Derek warned.

Allison grinned. "You want to know why I'm a cop when I'm married to a multi-millionaire." Allison guessed.

It wasn't the first time Allison had gotten the question nor would it be the last. Some of the newbies gave her a hard time about it until Allison shut them down with her pure talent at the job and her fierce dedication.

"Is that offensive?" Erica asked and glanced over at Laura.

"I think so." Laura said thoughtfully and nodded.

"I'm over it." Allison declared. Then she shrugged and threw her arm around the back of Scott's chair, mirroring Derek's easy gesture. "When I met Scott in college, I was already pursuing my criminal justice degree. I knew since I was nine years old what I wanted to be when I grew up. Moving here was natural, I had an in with the Sheriff," Allison winked at Stiles and Stiles winked back, "And I got to be the cop I always wanted to be-"

"And detective soon!" Stiles hooted.

"Maybe." Allison said. "And I don't have to worry about a lot of the other things that other cops worry about."

Derek and the others looked confused.

"The pay, mostly. But a lot of marriages suffer too. Scott knew what we were going into when I signed up for the academy and he adjusts his schedule to mine. So if I work nights, both of us sleep days. We have a house cleaning service because neither one of us is interested in housework, but Scott cooks most days. Scott's income allows us a lot more freedom that we wouldn't otherwise have and that includes me having a career." Allison said.

"Hear, hear." Derek said and raised his glass. The others joined in and they toasted Allison's words.

"What brought you guys back here?" Lydia asked and leaned forward. Her cheeks were red and Stiles knew that was a sign that she was well on her way to being drunk.

"Derek's ex burned our school down in Brazil." Boyd said.

Stiles choked on his beer. "What?" He finally managed.

"Ah." Allison said and nodded. She leaned back in her chair. Laura shot her a sympathetic look. "This is what Gerard went down there for."

"Who?" Scott asked.

The waitress came by and dropped off their appetizers.

Derek, seemingly undisturbed by the topic of conversation, began piling his plate with mini-sliders, wings, nachos, and cheese sticks.

"Kate." Allison said.

Stiles looked confused until Allison tapped her upper left shoulder where there was a three inch scar.

In a flash, Stiles remembered the story that Allison told him when they were both drunk and in their dorm. Allison's aunt had barged into her room late one night, high out of her mind on _something_ , and was convinced that Allison was, of all things, a werewolf. Kate, further convinced that it was her familial duty to eradicate all werewolves from the planet, attempted to kill Allison with a butcher knife from their kitchen.

Allison had been eleven years old at the time.

Chris had pried Kate from Allison and when the police arrived, they found Chris holding his sister down, Allison staunching her wound with a dress from her own closet. Victoria had left Chris after that, refusing to be a part of a family that counted Kate as a member.

Allison had chosen to stay with her father.

"Did she think you were a werewolf too?" Stiles asked and Boyd, Laura, Erica, and Derek all turned to him. Stiles flushed under all of their gazes. "That's why she attacked Allison. Kate thought she was some creature of the night and it was her duty to kill all the werewolves on the planet." He waved his glass in Allison's direction. "Right?"

Derek turned to Allison and Allison looked steadily back. "She was convinced that I was a werewolf." Allison confirmed. Lydia snorted into her beer and shook her head. "I told Stiles the whole story. She got high on god knows what, thought I was a werewolf, tried to kill me."

"She was high." Laura said softly.

"As a goddamn kite." Allison confirmed and but didn't look away from Derek.

"Werewolf?" Scott said and rolled his eyes. "Could you think of a lamer monster?" He fist bumped Stiles across the table. They had had many discussions about the pros and cons of the mythical creatures.

"She didn't just think that Derek was a werewolf, she was convinced that he was like..." Erica waved her hand.

"The head werewolf of some huge, prestigious, almost-royalty werewolf family." Laura picked up. "And that if she killed Derek, the rest of us would fall to pieces and she would be able to pick us off one by one."

It was Boyd's turn to snort into his beer. He opened his mouth, shut it, shook his head, and laughed. "It's funny now." He remarked.

"But when you have some psycho chasing you through Brazil and then burns down your place of employment-" Laura said.

"It kind of loses its humor." Derek finished.

"What happened to her?" Lydia asked.

Derek shrugged. "Dunno. After the school thing, I had to come back to the States immediately. I had to bring Cora home. The wreck she was in was because Kate was chasing her."

Allison looked away.

"What happened to her?" Kira asked, but she was looking at Laura this time.

"I am going to recommend that my client retain her right to remain silent." Lydia said seriously and waved her beer in Laura's direction.

Erica raised her glass. "Hear, hear." She said.

Everyone toasted once again.

It was still fairly early when they finished their appetizers and no one seemed to want the night to end, least of all Stiles.

"Movie?" Laura suggested.

Scott turned to Stiles. Stiles shrugged. "Sure."

"Which theater?" Erica asked.

Lydia snorted. "Babe, we don't go to the theaters. We go to Stiles' house. For some reason, the movie studios send him movies and he gets all the good movies while they are in theaters and sometimes even before."

"I review movies." Stiles explained to Derek.

"Ah." Derek said and nodded.

"He's got an indoor/outdoor theater and a popcorn maker and a soda fountain and a stocked concession stand." Scott added.

"That's ridiculous." Erica remarked. "We have to go. Now."

"Ok. Let me just use the bathroom before we head out." Derek said.

"Oh, me too." Allison said.

The others headed outside to their cars and when Allison stepped out of the pub, she wasn't surprised to see Derek waiting for her.

Allison looked away and down and turned her head so that her neck was bared to him. She felt the lightest touch on her neck and she let out a breath.

"They don't know?" Derek asked.

"Scott, Stiles, and Lydia. No." Allison said and they began to walk down the street. "When I told Stiles I was drunk and I said that she thought I was a werewolf, and he said, _'Was she high?'_ It seemed like the most logical explanation, so I just agreed. It keeps them out of it." She paused. "It keeps them safe."

Derek nodded. "Good." He said softly. "Did you ever meet my mother?"

"I did. She was so nice. So forgiving."

"You aren't Kate." Derek pointed out.

"But the Argent name-" Allison started.

"Is still respected. Mom saw that, I can see that." Derek paused. "Who else knows?"

"Scott's mom. I was injured once, couldn't trust just anyone. Stiles' dad. The Sheriff. He had to know." Allison said. "A few trusted deputies. That's it."

Derek stopped, still around the corner from where everyone was parked. "Thank you." He said softly.

Allison gave him a small smile and they joined their friends.


	5. Chapter 5

"Um." Laura said when Derek parked the Camaro in Stiles' driveway.

"Will you come find me when I get lost?" Erica whispered to Boyd.

"Yes." Boyd whispered back.

The house was huge, big enough to impress even the Hales. The door was flanked by two round pillars and Derek could see that it stretched out on either side of the door and seemed to go back as well, creating a kind of rectangular horseshoe shape. The whole house was gated but the iron gates went so far out and back Derek wasn't sure where they ended. The circular driveway was lined with soft lights and there seemed to another building, possibly a garage, off to the side of the house.

The other four fell out of the Uber they took back to Stiles' house and waved them in. Derek swallowed and opened his door. Laura and Erica got out of the backseat and he and Boyd waited for them before going up the steps and onto the large stone porch.

Stiles was at the door, pressing his thumb to the lock and after a brief second, the door opened and the lights flicked on.

Lydia and Scott giggled and pushed Derek and the others in first and then followed them.

"Good evening, Stiles." A voice from deeper in the house said.

"Hey, Peny." Stiles said.

Derek's heart fell to his knees and Boyd glanced over at him sharply.

"Any messages?" Stiles continued.

"Where is that coming from?" Laura asked and looked up and around the darkened house. She could see as well as the rest of the pack, but there was no one else in the house.

"Good evening, guests. I am Peny. I am Stiles' Personal Electronic Nexus Ylem. Peny, for short." The pleasant voice went on.

"Ylem?" Boyd asked.

"It's an alchemy thing." Derek replied and felt lighter when he realized that the voice was not belonging to someone who lived with Stiles and Emeri, but rather some other electronic thing that Derek would find out the full measure of later.

"Miss Emeri left a message. Would you like me to play it now?" Peny asked.

"Sure." Stiles said. He went into the kitchen and everyone followed.

"Hi, daddy!" Emeri's voice filled the air around them, "Just wanted to say good night and I love you more than anything else in this entire world!" There were muffled voices in the back and Emeri came back, laughing. "Pops said to tell Allison to protect you from all the big bad monsters out there! Good night! I love you!"

Stiles smirked and shook his head. "Archive it, Peny."

Stiles missed the look between Derek and Allison.

"Of course. Shall I get anything ready?" Peny asked.

"The movie theater. Might as well start up the hot tub too." Stiles said.

Scott left the kitchen and went in the direction of a large, sunken living room. Curious, Laura followed him. Stiles offered everyone else a beer. They all followed Laura and Scott, except for Derek who waited for Stiles.

Stiles rummaged around in the pantry and pulled out some chips and threw them on the counter and saw Derek leaning against the counter.

"Hey." Stiles said and grinned.

"Hey." Derek said and tipped his beer bottle at him.

"Want a tour?" Stiles said.

"Sure." Derek said and straightened up. "But what about the others?"

"Peny?" He said.

"Yes?"

"Go ahead and let the others get started on the movie. Scott can show them the theater." Stiles said.

"Yes, sir." Peny replied.

Stiles gestured to the other hallway that disappeared into darkness and Derek hesitated, even if he could see perfectly fine.

"She'll turn on the lights for you." Stiles reassured him.

Derek went down the hallway and sure enough, Peny turned the lights on for him.

Stiles tapped their first door on the left and opened the door. It was decorated tastefully in grays and blues. "Scott and Allison's room."

Across the hall and down the hall, he tapped on another door. When he opened it, Derek saw that it was decorated beautifully in soft whites and gold. There was a desk with a computer on it in the far corner. "Lydia's room."

They turned a corner and there was another room, decorated in reds. "Jackson's." Stiles said.

When they opened the last one, Stiles shook his head. There was clothes everywhere. "Kira's. She must have lost something."

"I didn't know you all lived together." Derek said and he thought of the old pack home in Brazil. He missed the warmth of everyone around him, the breezes that shifted through the houses many windows, the large dinners together every night.

"Not really." Stiles said. "But they crash here often enough that I finally gave up on having guest rooms and gave them their own so they would stop fighting."

Derek laughed.

Stiles pointed to the far end of the hall. "My office."

It was another lock that slid open under Stiles' fingerprint.

Books lined the walls and and there were framed movie posters that looked like they were signed. Some of the books were encased and Derek saw that they were signed. Another large desk but with three computer monitors.

"Sir-" Peny came over their heads.

"It's fine. I'm here." Stiles said.

Peny fell silent.

"A total of three people have been in here." Stiles explained and gestured around. "It's my fortress."

"Who's been in here?" Derek asked softly.

"Me, you, and Emeri." Stiles said and looked away. He was blushing but when he looked up at Derek, he saw that Derek was giving him a small smile. "Ok, that's enough. Come on." He said and gestured at the door. Derek followed and the door locked behind them.

Stiles led them to another doorway that Derek hadn't noticed. There were stairs leading down and when the lights flicked on, Derek found himself in a gym that was remarkably like his studio.

"Holy crap," Derek muttered and put his beer down on the stairs.

Just like his studio, there was a wall of mirrors, punching and kicking targets, a punching bag, and a small fridge that had bottles of water and Gatorade. Derek turned and looked at Stiles.

Stiles shrugged. "She loves it so much. And I can do this for her, you know?"

Derek didn't have any words. He just shook his head. One of the walls was floor to ceiling windows that looked outside and Derek spotted a pool just beyond the windows.

"You have a pool too?" Derek asked and went to the windows.

"Yeah." Stiles said and joined him. "Actually-" He said and reached up for the small catch at the top of the windows that locked them. He struggled to flip it and realized that they hadn't been this way in quite some time. The latch was quite unwilling to move.

"Here-" Derek said and reached up too. Stiles turned to let him by and then found himself pressed against the window and Derek.

They both stilled and Stiles looked up at Derek who was on his tip toes. "Hey," Stiles said, striving for casual and missing by miles.

Derek smiled and Stiles melted a little when he saw his bunny teeth. "Hi," Derek said.

"Can you feel it?" Stiles asked.

Derek raised his eyebrows and Stiles pointed up at the catch right under Derek's fingers. "Oh," Derek said. His smile widened and Stiles heard the latch unlock. "Got it."

Neither one of them moved.

"So." Stiles swallowed. "What do you think?"

Derek studied his eyes and gently touched his cheekbone. "I think you have a very lovely home." He said softly. "Beautiful, even."

Stiles let his eyes drift closed. "Are you drunk?"

"Not even a little." Derek said. "Are you?"

"No."

"So this is ok?" Derek asked and fitted his hand around Stiles' throat and neck.

"This is very much ok." Stiles said and opened his eyes to meet Derek's. He leaned in and Derek met him the rest of the way and-

_Oh_.

Stiles was not a beginner at kissing but Derek left him leagues behind. He tilted Stiles' head until they were positioned just right and Stiles shivered and felt Derek's hands on his back, reel him in closer, away from the window. Stiles slid one hand up the back of Derek's neck and into his hair.

A moment later, Derek pulled away and looked at Stiles. He cleared his throat.

Stiles nodded.

"I really want to do this some more, but if we keep on going, we are going to defile this mat." Derek told him.

"I'm ok with that." Stiles said.

"I'm not." Derek said.

Stiles pursed his lips.

"We are going to go on a date. A real one. I'm going to pick you up and we are going somewhere where no one gets punched-"

"You're hot when you punch people." Stiles pointed out.

"-and then maybe we can pick this up after dinner and some deep and interesting conversation." Derek finished. Then he frowned. "You think I'm hot when I punch people?"

"Well, no. You're always hot. Just- when you punch people, especially people like those asshole Cartwright brothers, you get momentarily hotter." Stiles explained.

"Mr. Stilinski, does violence excite you?" Derek asked.

Stiles thought about it for a moment before he said, "Yes. I think it does."

And then his world turned upside down and he felt Derek sweep his legs out from under him, grip the back of his neck and the small of his back and he landed gently, on his back, on the mat. Derek straddled his hips and loosely gripped Stiles' wrists above his head.

"I don't think you should ever pull a move like that again unless you come armed with lube and several condoms. And like, not a small bottle of lube either. We're talking... gallon sized." Stiles said and he couldn't even be ashamed of the way his voice cracked.

Derek grinned. "Noted."

Much to Stiles' disappointment, Derek stood and helped him up. "Are you busy next weekend?" He asked.

"No." Stiles said.

"Would you like to go out?" Derek asked and stroked the inside of Stiles' wrist.

"Yes." Stiles cleared his throat. "I think I would like that very much."

"I'll pick you up. Saturday." Derek said.

Stiles grinned. "Ok."

"Should we go see what the others are doing?" Derek asked.

Stiles sighed. "If we must."

Before they left, Derek locked the door they never went out of and retraced their steps. They went past the sunken living room and down another hallway and turned to a pair of swinging maroon doors. Stiles pushed past them and they entered a small lobby, complete with a soda fountain, a popcorn machine and freshly made popcorn, and a fully stocked concession stand.

Stiles stepped behind the concession stand and looked over the counter at Derek. "What can I help you with today?" Stiles asked.

Derek looked down at the candy selection, each candy neatly labeled with a price. "Let me get some Twizzlers and some gummy bears." He pulled out his wallet but Stiles waved it away.

"I only put prices up to help Emeri with math. I think she cleaned my dad out. And Scott. Definitely Jackson." Stiles said and passed Derek's candy over the counter.

They grabbed soda and dumped some popcorn into a bowl and pushed through another set of swinging doors and into the theater.

The Breakfast Club was playing on the screen and everyone was scattered through the three rows of chairs. Derek went to the back row and sat down and Stiles sat down next to him. Derek felt warm and content as the movie played on and they settled in deeper into their chairs.

Derek was startled awake when he felt a weight shift off of him and he had to remind himself not to shift.

He blinked in the dark and realized that him and Stiles were the only ones left in the theater. The only light filtering through the dark was from the main menu that was looping a song.

Derek looked over at Stiles who was blinking himself awake and smiled over at him.

"What time is it?" Stiles asked.

Derek pulled out his phone and it flashed the time at him just as it died. "Three." Derek said.

"Shit." Stiles said and Derek pulled him to his feet.

The living room was dark and quiet and when Derek looked out, he saw that his car was still there but the SUV that had been parked there earlier was gone.

"Allison and Scott must have taken everyone home." Stiles said, just as Jackson shuffled in wearing only his boxers and glaring at the light coming from the kitchen. "I might be wrong." Stiles added.

"Just me and Kira stayed." Jackson said, took a bottle of water from the fridge, and shuffled down the hall again. "Everyone else went home."

Derek blinked at him and then turned to Stiles. "He was wearing bunny slippers."

Stiles nodded. "Gift from Emeri."

Stiles walked Derek to the door and then to the edge of the porch. He wrapped his arms around himself against the chill of the night air. Derek went down one step and then turned around to face Stiles.

"I'll see you Monday." Derek said.

"I will be there." Stiles promised. He leaned forward, pressed a kiss to Derek's forehead, then his nose, and much longer and far less chaste kiss to his mouth.

Derek pulled away, stumbled a bit on the way down the rest of the stairs but eventually made it to the car without any more trouble.

Stiles waited until he couldn't see Derek's taillights anymore and then went inside.

Jackson was waiting for him, grinning like a loon. "What's going on with _that_?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you going on a date?"

Stiles sighed. "Yes." He finally said.

"Prepare yourself. Lydia will not let you leave your house without a shopping trip."

Stiles groaned when he realized that Jackson was right.

*****

"So." Stiles said that Wednesday, when him and Emeri were seated comfortably on his bed. There was a large bowl of popcorn between them and a cartoon paused on the TV. "I want to tell you something but I want your honest response. OK?"

Emeri regarded him with eyes that were a little too like Lydia's to be anything but calculating before she nodded. "Ok."

"I've got a date this weekend." Stiles started.

It wasn't the first time that Stiles would be on a date since he'd had Emeri. But it was the first time that he was going on a date with someone that she was close to.

"Ok." Emeri said and fell back against the pillows.

"With Derek." Stiles finished.

Emeri blinked at the TV. "My sensei?" She asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

Stiles nodded. "What do you think?"

Emeri opened her mouth, then closed, and furrowed her brow. "I think I would like it if you two dated." She said slowly. "He's nice. And he likes me. Not to get on your good side," Stiles groaned at the memory of Matt whose suck up ways had annoyed Stiles and Emeri to no end, "But because he thinks I'm cool."

Then she looked down at her thumb nail and picked at it.

"What?" Stiles prompted.

"I just thought that he was way out of your league." She admitted.

Stiles clutched his chest and gasped. "Wounded! By my own flesh and blood!"

Emeri laughed at him.

"I would have you know that Derek thinks I'm perfectly ok looking." Stiles muttered and fell back against the pillows next to his daughter.

"Is this why you have to go shopping with Lydia tomorrow?" Emeri asked.

Stiles groaned. "Yes. Don't remind me."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Stiles looked over at Lydia she had her eyes up, staring skyward.  
> "Lydia?" He said.  
> "Coming." She said softly.

"I'm sorry." Isaac said.

Derek shook his head and put a hand on his shoulder. "I would rather have you safe, here with us. You know that right?"

"I could have-" Isaac started.

"Hey." Derek said and flashed his eyes. Isaac squirmed under his gaze. "I would rather have you here, safe and alive, then absolute proof that Gerard is dead and gone. Ok? There is no revenge that is worth your life."

Isaac's shoulders slumped. "I know."

Derek wrapped Isaac up in a rough hug and kissed his forehead. "Please, know it." He said.

Isaac had just returned from a trip back east where they had gotten word on Gerard Argent gathering forces. Isaac had a chance to kill him, to blow the building that Gerard had been staying in, but Isaac had been in the basement. He might have survived the blast, but there was no way to be sure. In the end, Isaac hadn't blown the building and instead come back home to Derek with the information.

Gerard was, unfortunately, alive.

And yes, he was gathering hunters to his side against the Hale family, the remains of the Argent family, and, by extension of Allison and Scott, the Stilinski family.

"What are you thinking?" Laura asked from Derek's bed. It was four in the morning and when Isaac had shown up, he had gone straight to Derek's room. One by one, the pack had gathered there and listened to Isaac's story.

Derek pushed Isaac into bed next to Laura and then helped Cora get comfortable on the other side of him. Erica draped herself across the three of them and Derek and Boyd sat at the foot of Derek's large bed.

"I don't think we should give any indication that we know he's coming. Everything stays the same. We should let the Sheriff and Allison know." Derek said.

Boyd cleared his throat and looked over at Derek. "Not to be the rain on the parade, but what about Stiles?"

"What about him?" Derek asked and tried not to show his hackles raising. Metaphorically speaking, anyway.

"If he has your attention, he is a target. Emeri too." Boyd said softly.

"Scott and Lydia. Probably Jackson and Kira even." Cora said softly.

Derek looked out his window and wished for his parents more fiercely than he had in a long time. "We'll keep an eye on them." He finally said. "We kill what comes after them." He said softly.

No one had anything to say after that and they all fell asleep, curled up in Derek's bed.

*****

On Saturday, Scott and Emeri sat on Stiles' bed and watched Lydia threaten Stiles with some kind of hair product.

"It looks fine!" Stiles protested.

Lydia held the small round tub in her hand and put it to her forehead as she let out a slow breath through her nose. "It does not look fine." Lydia said. "It looks like you got in a fight with a lawn mower and _the lawn mower won_."

"I'm offended." Stiles said.

Lydia pointed to the bathroom where there was a chair in front of the mirror.

Emeri turned to Scott. "Were they always like this?" She asked.

"Since about fourth grade." Scott confirmed.

Stiles sat in the chair and Lydia got to work. He couldn't tell what she was doing, other than pulling his hair in a bunch of different directions and then laying it down and then pulling it some more.

"Where are you guys going?" Scott asked from the bedroom.

"That Italian place off of Main. I've heard good things. And then a movie party over in Beacon Plains." Stiles said.

"What's a movie party?" Emeri asked.

"I-" Scott paused. "I actually don't know. Stiles?"

"No idea." Stiles said.

"It's fun. I'll tell Emeri about it later." Lydia said.

"So it's just you guys tonight?" Stiles asked.

"Allison is working nights this week but Jackson and Kira might come over after they wake up. They had to close last night." Scott said.

"Big plans?" Stiles asked.

"I was thinking maybe some laser tag. Maybe some flashlight hide and seek in the yard." Scott said.

"Yes!" Emeri said.

Good thing Stiles had a best friend who refused to grow up to entertain and babysit his little girl.

"You'll make sure they eat?" Stiles asked Lydia who finally let him stand and eyed him critically before unbuttoning another button on his shirt.

"Yes, Stiles. I'll make sure they eat their veggies and not too much sugar and go to bed at a decent time." Lydia said with a small smirk. She patted his chest and turned to the dizzying array of colognes he had on his counter. Most of them had been gifts from Lydia herself. "This isn't our first rodeo, you know."

"I know. I'm just-" Stiles looked down at his shoes and the black skinny jeans and the dark blue button up.

"Nervous?" Lydia said, finally selecting a cologne and spinning around to face him.

"No." Stiles scoffed. "Why would I be nervous? I know Derek. Just because he's great with Emeri and super hot and smart and funny doesn't mean I'm _nervous_."

Lydia squirted the cologne on him and nodded. "Sure."

"I need to brush my teeth." Stiles said.

"You already did." Scott said.

"Twice." Emeri said.

The doorbell rang.

Chaos erupted.

Scott and Emeri jumped from the bed and ran for the door, with Lydia on their heels. Scott pulled ahead of the other two but then Emeri jumped on his back and sent the two of them tumbling to the ground. As Lydia tried to step over them, Scott grabbed her foot and she crashed into a table, knocked it over and then Emeri was up and bounded over both of them, until Scott caught up and pushed her into the couch as they made it into the living room. Lydia jumped on Scott's back and Emeri crashed into his legs as the two of them made it to the door and jerked it open, which sent the three of them tumbling over one another and onto the porch.

Stiles stood in the living room where he had stopped to see the three of them fall against Derek's legs. Derek looked down at them and then up at Stiles who shook his head.

"I would apologize for them but you already know them. So." Stiles shrugged. Then he saw that Derek wasn't alone. Behind him, Erica, Boyd, Laura, Cora, and another guy he didn't know, were standing there.

"I could say the same for these guys." Derek said and jerked his head over his shoulder at his friends and family. "They insisted on coming over and hanging out with Emeri."

Erica raised a bowl over her head so that Stiles could see it. "We brought food!"

Boyd and Laura helped Emeri and Lydia to their feet but Scott stayed seated for a minute, his head between his knees. He was wheezing and coughing and it sounded like it hurt.

Stiles went to the kitchen where he kept a supply of medications on hand and found Scott's emergency inhaler. He tossed it at Lydia who knelt next to Scott and pressed it into his hand. He took a couple of puffs of it and then Derek was gently pulling him to his feet. Derek steadied Scott for a moment.

"Ok?" Derek asked.

Scott took another puff from his inhaler and nodded. "Good, yeah."

Lydia and Stiles exchanged a look but Scott was nodding and ushering everyone in.

Cora wheeled herself into the kitchen and began setting bowls down on the counter. She grinned at Stiles and gently pushed him out of the kitchen and onto the other side of the large kitchen island.

"Hi." The new guy said and stuck his hand out to Stiles. "I'm Isaac."

"Isaac was down in Brazil, finishing up with some students down there." Derek explained. "He finally made it back to us on Thursday."

"And when I heard Derek had a date, I had to come meet you." Isaac said.

Stiles grinned. "Nice to meet you. I'm Stiles. That's Scott and Lydia. The- _oh my god what is that_?" Stiles gasped.

As Laura had been the last one to come in the door, Stiles hadn't noticed that there were three dogs coming in behind her. Which wouldn't be unusual in the strictest of senses (Scott was known to bring dogs over for Stiles to foster) but there was a large dog of indeterminate origin carrying two golden retriever puppies in a backpack that laid over his back and tucked the puppies neatly against his sides. In the large dog's mouth was a pair of bowls that it set down gently by the entryway.

"They can stay outside-" Derek started but stopped when Lydia, Scott, Emeri, and Stiles descended on the dog.

"How did you teach him to carry them in a _backpack_?" Scott asked as the large dog wagged his tail and Lydia and Emeri pulled the puppies out of their small pockets. "Oh god, I don't care, this is the best thing that's happened to me since Allison." Scott said and kissed the dog on his forehead and scratched him as Lydia and Emeri cooed at the puppies.

"We are a dog friendly house." Stiles said and let the puppy that Emeri was holding lick his nose. "Scott will show you everything." He turned to see Boyd and Laura in the kitchen, pulling plates and glasses from the cupboard while Cora expertly iced a large cake and Isaac began heating up the oven.

"I hope it's ok that they are here." Derek said in a low voice. "They said that you wouldn't mind and eventually it got to be too much of a fight to get them to stay home." Derek paused. "And then they started _cooking_." He said, like he took personal offense to his family's culinary skills.

"It's fine." Stiles said easily. "You guys are welcome here anytime. And there are big plans for laser tag or flashlight hide and seek and the more the merrier, I say."

Derek gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"Are you kidding me? Now Lydia has back up to get the kids to eat their veggies." Stiles said.

Derek snorted.

"What did you name them?" Scott asked, both the puppies in his lap while the much larger dog leaned against him. He looked like he was in heaven.

"The big one is Hodor. The one with the blue collar is Bran and the one with the red collar is Rickon." Derek said.

Scott's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh god." Lydia muttered.

"He's still not over it." Emeri said and rubbed Scott's back.

Stiles turned to Derek. "Shall we?" He said and all but pulled him out the door before Scott started actually crying.

In the driveway, Stiles finally got a good look at Derek and he had to pause. He was wearing a leather jacket, a gray button up and black slacks. Everything looked like it had been cut just for him and Derek caught him staring and Stiles watched, astonished, when Derek blushed.

"You're staring." Derek said and unlocked the Camaro.

"You're worth staring at." Stiles muttered.

Derek's blush deepened. "Get in the car, oh my god." He said.

Stiles smirked but did as he was told and settled himself in the seat. Derek switched the car on and pulled out of the driveway and they left the house behind, warm lights and all.

***

Lydia watched Boyd, Cora, Laura, and Isaac move around each other in the kitchen. They worked together well but it seemed like there was something missing. She turned and watched Erica and Emeri play with the puppies and Hodor seemed to have fallen in love with Scott on the floor near her feet.

"So how long has it been since you let Derek out of your sight? Since Cora's accident?"

Isaac choked on the carrot he had just popped into his mouth and Boyd watched him, clearly disinterested until Isaac was able to breathe again.

"Something like that." Laura finally agreed.

"The accident was about two years ago." Cora said, "And Derek blamed himself for it. He was supposed to be the one taking care of us since mom and dad are gone and now his ex had gone and lost her damn mind."

"Werewolves." Scott said and nodded sagely at Hodor.

Lydia saw Isaac's fingers twitch and wrap more firmly around the knife he was holding.

"We weren't the only ones keeping him close. He kept us close too. We stayed with some friends in New York while I got healed up and Derek got his head back on straight." Cora went on.

The oven went off.

"When we figured that she wasn't coming for us and that we were ok, we came back here." Laura finished and began to pile the dishes they had used so far into the dishwasher. "Beacon Hills has always been home to the Hales." She paused. "And the fact that we had a huge house just waiting for us here really helped too."

"New York was crowded." Boyd said.

"And dirty." Erica added.

Laura set the dish down and pulled the lid off. She had warmed a huge roast in the oven and the smell filled the air.

"Come and eat!" Laura called out.

They gathered around the table and all dug in.

***

"Not to brag or anything, but I could make most of this at home." Derek murmured as he looked down the menu.

"Already trying to get me back to your place?" Stiles tutted and shook his head. "For shame, Derek."

"I wouldn't have to try that hard." Derek said and glanced up at Stiles and cocked an eyebrow.

Stiles pointed a breadstick at him. "Put that away, mister. We are in public."

Derek laughed and looked back at the menu. He finally settled on the shrimp scampi and a moment later the waiter showed up. He was trying hard to ignore the looks they had been getting all night and the whispers that were not so subtle.

But Stiles looked beautiful in the candlelight and the food smelled delicious and there was a freaking violinist playing somewhere so it wasn't a total loss.

"I believe Mrs. Lewis is plotting my demise." Stiles said and glanced over Derek's left shoulder. "She had big plans to introduce you to her daughter."

"Oh geez." Derek said.

"You thought I hadn't noticed?" Stiles said and gave him a half smile. "Half the people here are out to get me now."

"The other half are after me." Derek said and glanced around.

"Good thing I got my own bodyguard." Stiles said.

Derek looked at him, surprised that he would imply that Derek would protect him.

"Emeri, dude. Stop looking at me like that." Stiles said and rolled his eyes. "I think she could take a few people out."

"I could take a few people out." Derek muttered.

"Emeri would have less moral compunction about it." Stiles said. "Takes after her daddy like that."

Derek snorted and then regarded Stiles closely. "Why don't you learn?" He asked.

"How to fight?" Stiles asked. "Who says I haven't? And also, I do better with firearms."

"Really." Derek said and thought about Stiles' wide and wild gestures and then thought about him armed.

"Sheriff's kid." Stiles reminded him. "I grew up around guns. Dad taught me some stuff."

Derek looked away and caught the eye of an older woman glaring at the two of them. Derek put his hand out, palm up, on the table and Stiles put his hand in Derek's. "But what happens if you aren't armed?"

"The only time I'm not armed is when I'm with someone who can protect me or Emeri." Stiles said.

"So not now." Derek concluded.

Stiles shook his head. "Nope." He said.

"You trust me that much?" Derek asked and tugged Stiles' hand closer. He pressed his mouth to the smooth skin above Stiles' knuckles.

"Yes." Stiles answered. Derek listened to his heart and it remained the same pace as it had been for most of the night; steady and a bit fast, but there was no lie in his answer.

Derek grinned and looked down. He was strangely touched at Stiles' trust.

"Do you trust me that much?" Stiles asked and tipped his head to the side.

"Yes." Derek said, without hesitation.

Stiles' grin was blinding.

***

"How big is the yard?" Laura asked Scott.

"About an acre. An acre and a half." He said.

"Does the fence go all the way around?" Boyd asked. He was strapping on the vest for laser tag. Lydia was helping Emeri with hers on.

"Yeah, but we don't usually go that far." Lydia said.

"We try to keep it as close to the house as we can. I mean, we play in the shadows, but not all the way out there." Scott said and Laura didn't have to be a werewolf to hear the small note of fear in his voice.

"Why not?" Isaac asked.

"It's dark." Emeri said. "When I was littler, I used to think monsters with red and yellow and blue eyes lived out there."

Laura made a quick mental calculation. Through the woods, it would be less than five miles from the Hale house to the Stilinski house. A walk in the park for full grown wolves. If her parents were alive, it was entirely plausible that Emeri might have seen them out there during the full moon. Cora, Laura, and Derek had been home during the past eight years too; Emeri could have seen _them_ for all she knew.

"What kind of monsters have eyes like that?" Erica asked.

Emeri shrugged. "I don't know. But Allison used to tell me that they might not be bad monsters. They might be good monsters. They might be the kind out here to protect me from the real evil things out there."

"Not all monsters do monstrous things." Lydia murmured.

"Derek's mom told me that!" Emeri shouted, as though she just remembered. She turned her eyes to Laura. "When I would see them and before dad could come and see too, your mom told me to say that over and over and the monsters would know that I'm the princess they are supposed to protect."

Laura's breath caught and she didn't have to look over at Cora to know that they were both caught by Emeri's words.

"Yeah." Laura said and tugged gently on Emeri's ponytail. "She used to tell us that all the time. Sometimes, you don't need to slay the dragon."

"Sometimes, the dragon just wants a friend." Cora added.

"I'm going to stay with Cora." Scott announced and settled down next to Cora on a chair.

"You don't have to." She said.

Scott raised his inhaler and looked at Cora.

"Never mind. Maybe you do have to." She said.

"Go. Go on." Scott said and shooed them off.

Emeri took off for the dark yard and Isaac was right on her heels.

***

The movie was an old one and hysterical. They were encouraged by the staff to boo and hiss and cheer as the pirates and princes battled. They threw popcorn and recited the lines that they knew from forever ago and sighed as the princess declared her undying love for her handsome prince.

When they walked out of the movie, Stiles picked popcorn out of Derek's hair and Derek brushed it off Stiles' shoulders. They were still laughing at some parts and when they reached the car, Derek paused.

"Want to go back to my place?" He asked.

"What, you think I'm going to put out on the first date?" Stiles scoffed.

"I didn't suffer through the weird glances at the store the other day when I cleaned them out of lube for nothing." Derek said and leered at Stiles.

"My virtue means nothing to you!" Stiles exclaimed.

Derek chuckled and they both got into the car. "We don't have to." Derek said when he realized that he hadn't gotten an answer. "I'm just not ready to take you home."

Stiles slipped his hand into Derek's. "I know that. And I'd like to go back to your house. It sounds fun."

At the parking lot, Derek paused. He could hear sirens in the distance.

If he turned right, it would take him back to his house where there was wine and roses and soft music.

If he turned left, it would take him back to Stiles' place where everyone was gathered, loud and intrusive and full of love.

The sirens passed in front of them and they were headed to the left.

"Would you think I'm paranoid if I called?" Stiles asked even as he dialed the number.

"Not at all." Derek said and watched the four cop cars speed past and an ambulance right behind them.

***

Emeri hesitated at the rock that her and her daddy had painted two years before. It was an unspoken rule that Emeri was not supposed to go past that part of the yard without a grownup.

But the yard was teeming with them, so Emeri dashed past it and hid behind a much larger rock.

Just as she thought, Erica came after her and Emeri watched from her spot as something flew out from behind one of the large oak trees in the yard and planted itself just next to Erica.

It was like a large stick and then suddenly, it lit up.

Erica _screamed_.

Emeri startled because she had never heard another person make that noise and she stood up. It seemed like the thing was making some kind of noise and when Laura crashed through the woods too, she fell to the ground and started screaming too. Both of them were rolling on the ground, their hands over their ears.

Emeri darted forward, grasped the thing and jerked it from the ground. When that didn't stop the noise, she used the laser gun in her hand to bash the round end. The gun broke but the stick didn't. It was light, lighter than her gun even, so Emeri took it to the oak tree and swung it like a bat against the trunk until it finally broke in pieces in her hands.

Then there were warm arms around her and she was being carried quickly to the house.

***

Scott's phone went unanswered.

As did Lydia's.

"I think we should-" Stiles started but was startled when he was thrown back against his seat and Derek turned left. Derek made his way through the streets expertly, weaving in and out of traffic like he was born for it.

They didn't speak while Derek drove and Stiles was grateful that he was able to get them there alive, in one piece, and faster than Stiles ever could.

He stumbled out of the car and up the walkway. He followed the noise to the backyard and almost fell to his knees when he saw Emeri wrapped around his father.

Derek's warm grasp held him steady and then Emeri was in his arms and he could breathe again.

"What happened?" He asked his dad.

John opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Laura's sharp voice. "I'm fine! That isn't even my blood!"

"Laura?" Derek said and stepped around Stiles and John and to where his sister was sitting. She was on a chair near a table with a confused paramedic seated next to her.

It certainly looked like she had been hit or shot or something. The left leg of her jeans was soaked in blood and torn open. But underneath, the flesh was smooth and unmarked.

"Where did this blood come from?" The paramedic asked.

"I thought I saw a raccoon out there." Erica piped up.

"They get into the dog food a lot." Stiles said softly and adjusted Emeri in his arms. She didn't loosen her grip or raise her face from his neck.

"What happened?" Stiles asked.

"We were playing laser tag. Erica went after Emeri a little deeper in the yard than the rest of us and then something came out of the woods, like a-" Laura floundered.

"A flashbang." John said.

Stiles turned to his father, his eyes wide.

John shook his head. "Didn't hurt Emeri. In fact, she saved Laura and Erica. The pulse that it emitted was geared towards hearing of animals and the flash threw Laura and Erica off. Emeri broke it and Laura and Erica brought her back here."

"Where _the fuck_ did a flashbang come from?" Stiles hissed. "How are they on my fucking property? Why are they fucking _shooting?"_

John opened his mouth but was cut off once more by Allison and Jordan dragging a struggling man from the back of the yard. There was a rumbling growl and Stiles looked down to see Hodor with his head cocked towards the three in the yard. Stiles blinked and Derek was halfway across the yard, his intent clear.

When he approached Allison and Jordan, he swung savagely at the man, connected with his jaw and the man slumped over, limp and very much unconscious in their arms.

Stiles blinked and for a second, he could have sworn that Derek's shoulders were broader, his biceps thicker, his hands bigger. But he blinked and no, it was just Derek.

"I-" Stiles started and looked at his dad who was studiously staring at a small notebook in his hands even though the paper was blank.

"Hm?" John said and looked up at him.

Stiles hesitated shook his head. There was the shock of everything, of seeing Allison and Parrish with the guy, of his baby being in danger. His eyes were just playing tricks on him, obviously.

"Did- did anyone else see that?" Scott wheezed and Stiles turned to look at Scott who was looking at Parrish and Allison dragging the limp guy across the yard. Derek paced just behind them.

"No." Lydia whispered, but her eyes were wide. "My clients here did not, in fact, see anything. Any injuries that suspect sustained happened before both police custody and before Derek Hale arrived. Anything that the suspect says contrary to that fact should be viewed with suspicion. Especially since he was on private property with the intent to hurt those who lived here or are guests on the property."

John gave Lydia a thumbs up.

Lydia didn't seem to notice as her eyes flashed between Derek and then Laura and then Erica and small pieces of plastic in her hands that Stiles hadn't noticed before.

"Son?" John asked.

"Yeah?" Stiles said, his eyes on Lydia. He could practically see the wheels in her head turning and whatever it was, was either very good or very bad.

"I have to take this guy in. You'll be ok?" John asked.

Stiles nodded numbly.

"Allison has some time off coming anyway. She'll stay. I'd-" John wrinkled his brow. "I'd feel better if you had someone here with you. Just in case."

"We'll stay." Derek said, his boots echoing on the deck as he approached Stiles and Emeri. He wrapped his arms around the both of them and they sandwiched Emeri between them.

"You don't have to." Stiles said but was grateful nonetheless.

"I know. But we will." Derek said.

"I would feel better if there were a few black belts hanging around." Scott chimed in.

"Me too." John said.

"Ok." Stiles said, agreeing far more quickly than he'd like to admit to.

"That's settled." Boyd said. "Let's clean this up and get inside."

When Stiles looked over at Lydia she had her eyes up, staring skyward.

"Lydia?" He said.

"Coming." She said softly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not saying he won't pay. He will. And anyone else that helped him or considered helping him. But no one else is going to go down because of it. Not now. Not while I'm still standing. Let him go to Beacon Flats. I'll take care of it from there."

They settled in for the night and, unsurprisingly, Emeri ended up in Stiles' bed. Much to everyone's surprise though, she had pushed Allison and Lydia out of the room and dragged Scott in. She wasn't speaking much and Stiles' heart ached. He couldn't imagine the panic she had gone through.

So no one else fought her and even if Stiles did see the regret on Derek's face, he wasn't going to deny Emeri anything on this night.

They all climbed into bed and Stiles left the bathroom light on for a nightlight. They all settled in and Scott curled his blanket around him like a burrito and fell asleep. Stiles didn't like how he sounded. He was more wheezing than breathing. Eventually Stiles felt his eyelids get heavier and his body relax.

"Dad?" Emeri whispered and Stiles jerked himself awake.

"Yeah? What? Yeah." Stiles said and sat up. On the other side of Emeri, Scott was sitting up too.

"Can we talk?" She said softly.

"Yes." Stiles said immediately. "About what?"

"I think I know who the monsters are." Emeri said softly.

***

"Who was that guy?" Derek asked as soon as Stiles' door was closed and Lydia had left the room.

Allison shook her head as she looked down at her phone. "Parrish said nothing is coming up. So he isn't wanted, not in our databases, anyway. Dad is headed down, see if he can ID the guy, since he isn't talking."

"What's the Sheriff's plan?" Laura asked and sighed at her ruined pants.

"He'll probably have Parrish-" Allison stopped when her phone vibrated. "Oh, nope. Private security van is scheduled to take the guy to a prison over in Beacon Flats since there is an obvious conflict of interest here."

"Will he make it?" Isaac asked.

Allison frowned. "Doubt it. Parrish is doing the hand off. Dad is on his way-"

"He has to make it." Lydia said from the hallway.

Everyone jerked around to see her standing in the hallway in an oversized shirt and pajama pants. She had not lost that shell shocked look but now she seemed to be on autopilot.

"If he doesn't make it, after attacking the Sheriff's granddaughter, its the easiest thing to draw a line from point A to point B." She went on.

"People like this need to be put down, permanently. Otherwise they don't stop coming for you." Boyd said.

"But keep John out of it. And Parrish. And Chris." Lydia said. "There's another way."

Derek looked from Lydia to Allison who shook her head minutely as though to say, _No, I didn't tell her._

"Lydia-" Derek started.

"I don't know everything. I don't think I want to." Lydia said and drew in a deep and shuddering breath. "But they came for my baby. I'm not mommy material and I never will be, but you don't help create another person and not have-" Lydia stopped and pressed her lips together. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not saying he won't pay. He will. And anyone else that helped him or considered helping him. But no one else is going to go down because of it. Not now. Not while I'm still standing. Let him go to Beacon Flats. I'll take care of it from there."

Allison looked at Derek and he felt the others look to him to. But he kept his eyes on Lydia and her small form, trembling with rage, but with a rage that had a direction and a purpose.

"Do as she says." Derek said to Allison.

She dialed her phone and stood. She left the room.

Derek turned back to Lydia and raised an eyebrow.

"I think I know but I don't know _know_. And I don't want you to tell me unless Stiles knows. Does he know?" She asked.

"No." Derek said.

"Then I don't want to know before he knows because if he doesn't know than I will tell him and I know that whatever it is, I'm going to go about it all wrong. So don't tell me. Keep it-" She gestured to everyone else, "Amongst yourselves."

Derek nodded.

Lydia turned and left the room without another word.

Allison came back a minute later and nodded at Derek. "Let me show you guys to your rooms."

***

"Baby, that man wasn't a monster. He was just a stupid man who-" Stiles started.

"No, not him." Emeri said.

"What are you saying?" Scott asked.

"The monsters- I-" Emeri appeared frustrated and sighed. "Do you remember what Talia used to tell me to tell the monsters when they came to my windows at night?"

"Not all monsters do monstrous things." Stiles repeated. It had been a mantra in his daughter's life for at least two years. It seemed like the nightmares would never go away even when the doctor swore she would outgrow them.

"Yeah. I don't- I don't think the monsters at my window were ever there to hurt me. I think that Beacon Hills has its own set of monsters that keep us safe." Emeri whispered. "I think they check on people. Make sure they are ok. Then they go on to the next house."

"What does this have to do with what happened tonight?" Stiles prompted and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't sure he was entirely awake.

"I think Laura and Erica are monsters." Emeri whispered.

Stiles clamped his mouth shut so that he didn't break out into hysterical laughter. It was a struggle and it took a moment, but eventually he gained control of himself and cleared his throat. "Why do you say that?" His voice was shaky and he could feel Emeri's glare even though the light was too dim to be sure.

"When that thing hit, that bang thing, they fell. And they screamed but it wasn't like a normal person scream, it was like they were-" Emeri sighed and stopped. She caught the way Scott and Stiles were exchanging a look and hung her head. "Never mind, you don't believe me."

Stiles felt a flash of guilt, an ice pick to his heart. "No, I'm sorry. Go on. I'm listening. We both are." He nudged Scott's leg with his foot and Scott nodded. He seemed entirely too invested in Emeri's story anyway. "What did it sound like?"

Emeri hesitated. "It sounded like they were howling but like they were calling someone." She whispered.

Scott looked from Emeri to Stiles and then back to Emeri. "Who do you think they were calling?"

"Derek." Emeri said softly.

Stiles chewed on his lower lip. "Why do you think they were calling him?" He asked after a moment.

"Haven't you seen everyone around him?" Emeri asked and she raised her head to look at him. "He is their leader. Wherever he goes, they follow. They all wait for his direction, they all wait for him to decide and won't budge until he does. They wait for him to protect them."

"I think Laura and Erica can take care of themselves, baby." Stiles murmured but once she had pointed it out, he couldn't help but notice how right she was.

"They can but what if they get hurt and can't protect themselves? That's Derek's job. He's their leader." Emeri insisted.

Stiles thought of all the times in the karate studio, of how everyone circled Derek like he was their center of gravity. How he took charge of every situation, how he did protect them, put himself in front of them-

He forced his mind to stop there.

"Let's sleep. Ok?" Stiles said and stroked Emeri's hair. "In the morning, after some breakfast, we'll talk this through."

Emeri nodded slowly and laid down.

"I was wrong. Their eyes weren't yellow. Their eyes were gold, daddy." She whispered before she fell asleep.

Stiles stayed awake most of that night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hated ruining her view of the world. He hated that the world couldn't be kind and gentle to her, like he was. He hated that the world was sometimes full of hate and that sometimes she had to make herself angry and mean and hard so that it didn't tear her down.

 

Things remained tense over the next few days and only relaxed when Stiles heard on the news that the man that had been on his property had been murdered in prison. Stiles couldn't seem to dredge up any remorse for the guy.

Emeri's words didn't leave his head though. They seemed to be on an ever present loop, repeating over and over. He couldn't seem to figure out what she was meant, even if he witnessed them deferring to Derek all the time, even if he couldn't help but agree with her more and more.

Lydia seemed on edge too and the fact that the guy who had been on Stiles' property had been killed did nothing to ease her. The circles under her eyes deepened and she seemed to be spending more and more time at Stiles' house.

Emeri seemed to be done with the subject of monsters and school ended. She skated by on a solid C/D average and Stiles could only be grateful that there wasn't any summer school.

One Monday afternoon, Derek approached Stiles and sat next to him on the chairs in the karate studio. They had been hanging out more and more but nothing as promising as their first date had been.

Stiles still had hope though.

"So, I want her to start sparring with kids her own age." Derek said.

Stiles nodded. "Ok. If you think she's ready."

"I do. Can you come in tomorrow? At five instead of six?" Derek asked.

Without school, their schedule was wide open. "Can do." Stiles said and watched as Emeri finished her meditation with Boyd and stood up.

Stiles regretted those words the next day when he saw the size of the kids in her class. He helped strap her into her gear and handed her her mouth piece. Emeri seemed totally at ease and Stiles frowned when he realized that his usual seat was taken by a woman who smelled strangely of sour laundry.

Stiles went to the other side of the room and sat next to a man covered in tattoos but who smelled like much fresher laundry detergent.

"Charlie." The guy said and offered his hand.

Stiles shook it. "Stiles." He said.

"Your kid come from a different school?" Charlie asked.

Emeri was a belt above anyone else in the room. Her bright red uniform set her apart from the sea of white in front of them.

"No, she was in an accelerated program." Stiles said.

God, she was so much smaller than the other ones.

"Well, good for her. My girl is over there. Pigtails, orange belt. Jo." He said and waved and the girl with brown hair and crooked teeth next to Emeri smiled and waved. "I think its important that girls have a chance at programs like this. And, well, you know. You're a father. We can't send them out there defenseless."

"We certainly can't." Stiles agreed and then Derek called the class to attention.

"Line up, belt rank order." Derek said and directed the class to scoot down so that everyone had plenty of room.

At the front of the line, a boy stood, a full head taller than Emeri. He smirked at the kid next to him and shoved him over as soon as Derek's back was turned. The kid muttered something but Stiles was distracted when Allison sat down next to him.

"Hey." Stiles said.

"Hey. She start yet?" Allison asked and Lydia sat down on her other side.

"Not yet." Stiles said and leaned back. "Charlie, this Allison, my daughter's godmother. And that's Lydia, her surrogate mom."

"Surrogate?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Stiles braced himself.

"That's mighty kind of you ma'am." Charlie went on and stuck his hand out. Lydia shook his hand and gave him a dazzling smile. "I know my wife wouldn't have another kid after our four, let alone to have one and let someone else raise him or her." He nodded at her and turned his attention back to the kids in line. "Uh oh." He muttered.

Emeri was looking up at the kid that had shoved the other kid over when Derek wasn't looking.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"Sensei said belt rank order. Your little lady is the highest ranked here by a full belt. Jerry there ain't gonna take too kindly to that." He said. "He's used to being the big fish in the little pond."

The kid remained unmoved despite the fact that Emeri was clearly telling him to move down and make room for her.

"Jerry." Derek barked from the other side of the room where he was tightening a kid's belt. "Is there a problem?"

"New kid thinks she gets to be first in line." Jerry said.

"What belt is she?" Derek asked and made for their end of the line.

Jerry looked down. "Blue."

"What belt are you?"

"Purple."

"Look at the belt rank behind you. Which rank is higher?"

"Blue." Jerry sneered.

"Did I or did I not tell you to get in belt rank order?" Derek went on.

It wouldn't be obvious to the casual observer, but Stiles could see how much Derek did not like this kid.

"Yes." Jerry said and Emeri sneered at him. Scott had found a mouth guard with pointed vampire teeth on them painted in red. The effect was chilling.

Derek stood in front of Jerry until he grudgingly moved down. Emeri took her rightful spot and when Derek turned away, Jerry made to push Emeri, the same as he had done to the kid earlier.

Boyd's arm stopped him. "Wall sits." He said.

"I didn't do anything." Jerry huffed.

"Because I stopped you." Boyd said and Stiles had to wonder at his calm. "Wall sits."

Jerry glared up at Boyd. Boyd stared back, impassive.

"How long." Jerry snapped.

"Until I get tired." Boyd replied and directed the kid to the wall behind them. Derek watched but did not say anything.

"I know it ain't right, but I hate that kid." Charlie muttered. "He's always picking on the smaller ones and I don't know what kind of steroids that woman has her kid on," Charlie nodded at the woman that had taken Stiles' spot, "But I want to see a goddamn birth certificate."

Stiles liked Charlie.

Eventually Jerry was allowed to return to class and the class split into two groups. Erica and Boyd were with one group near the back of the class and the second group was at the front with Derek. He explained point match to them; one minute per fight, punches were one point and kicks were two points. First fighter to five points wins.

Charlie's daughter, Jo, and another boy, Andrew were the first up. Jo was quick fighter, and Stiles cheered for her win. Three more fights went up and Stiles looked around for Emeri. He saw her bouncing on her toes, watching everyone else.

As soon as his eyes landed on her, Stiles realized that Emeri would be fighting Jerry.

"Shit." Stiles muttered.

"And he's a dirty little fighter too." Charlie said, following Stiles' eyes.

"She's got it." Lydia said.

"Hope so." Charlie said and Stiles watched as Jerry leaned forward and said something to Emeri over the music that caused her to go still. "Someone needs to put that kid in his place."

Derek dismissed the fighters in front of him and called Emeri and Jerry to the front of the ring. They were right in front of Stiles, Allison, Lydia, and Charlie.

"That kid is not less than twelve. Bullshit." Allison muttered.

"She's got it." Lydia insisted.

"And, go!" Derek called.

Stiles winced preemptively and almost missed the fight entirely.

Jerry was clearly used to kids backing down from him, but Emeri wasn't just any kid. She darted forward, roundhouse kicked the kid's stomach as hard as she could (despite Derek's earlier direction about them going only fifty percent strength) and when he leaned forward, clearly gasping for breath, she swung for his head, and landed a solid hit to his jaw. He was wearing head gear, but Stiles could clearly see the kid was dazed. It was, for all intents and purposes, a TKO.

Emeri leaned over Jerry and took her mouthpiece out. "Who's your daddy now?" She asked him, a sneer on her lips.

"And, you're done." Derek said and came out of nowhere and wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her away. He hefted Emeri up in his one arm easily despite the fact that she struggled against him. He must have seen her intent to keep on going.

"You gonna cry?" Emeri called out as Derek headed for the front of the studio. Her words stopped him in his tracks and he turned wide eyes to Stiles, clearly as astonished as everyone else in the studio.

Stiles, stunned into speechlessness, turned back to Jerry who was, in fact, crying. He was wiping his face, sniffling, and struggling to get out of his gear all at once. Emeri was struggling in Derek's arms, trying to get back at the kid. Stiles had never seen her so _enraged_ before.

"Come on baby, _cry!"_ Emeri taunted. "You wanted to see someone cry, look in the mirror, you big baby! You gonna cry to your mommy? Why don't you have her change your diaper too because I just kicked the sh-"

Derek's hand clamped over Emeri's mouth at the last possible second and headed for the door.

Stiles scrambled from his seat and vaulted over the others as he went after Derek and Emeri who had left the studio altogether.

When he found them, they were downstairs by the large fountain. Emeri's face was red and she was crying and clearly trying not to show it.

"What-" Stiles said breathlessly and gestured to the studio. "What was that?" He asked. When he came to a halt in front of the two of them, Allison and Lydia stumbled into his back. He couldn't even find it in him to be mad. He was too flabbergasted to even begin to try to scold her. It was too out of character of Emeri for him to be anything but confused.

Emeri looked to Derek who rubbed his face and nodded.

"He had been saying stuff to me all class. He said that he was going to make me cry. He said that girls can't fight. Then-" Emeri huffed and sobbed and rubbed her face. She took off her head gear and Stiles had to wonder where her mouthpiece ended up. "Then he said since my daddy was going out with sensei that neither one of them was really a man and now I didn't have a daddy."

Emeri leaning down and asking Jerry who his daddy now made a cold kind of sense. She shuffled her feet and looked down and mumbled something.

"What?" Allison, Stiles, and Lydia all said at the same time.

"He said that you were just a pathetic little faggot." Emeri said, a little louder but not much.

It wasn't the first time that Stiles had been called that and he knew it wouldn't be the last. The word had long ago lost any of its sting though. But he knew that Emeri still had to deal with it and that stung.

Stiles hunkered down in front of her. "What did I tell you about bullies?" He asked.

"Don't turn the other cheek. Don't let them get away with their shitty ideas. To shut it down. Don't give them a chance to let their ideas spread." Emeri said.

"Did you do that?" Stiles asked.

"Yes." She whispered and finally looked up at Stiles. "But I was really mean about it."

"Sometimes-" Stiles stopped and sighed. He hated ruining her view of the world. He hated that the world couldn't be kind and gentle to her, like he was. He hated that the world was sometimes full of hate and that sometimes she had to make herself angry and mean and hard so that it didn't tear her down. "Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Sometimes it's the only way you can get them to listen."

"You aren't mad?" Emeri asked.

"Not at you, little bug. You did right." Stiles said. He looked up at Derek who was looking up at the studio.

He sighed. "I'll handle this."

"Am I in trouble?" Emeri asked.

"No." Derek said. "You went a little too far but no. You aren't in trouble."

"Can I come back?" Emeri asked.

"Tomorrow." Derek said and gave her a smile. "It's another day."

Emeri nodded.

"Go on. I'll call you later." Derek said and kissed Stiles easily.

They stopped for ice cream on the way home.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Once, when we were little, he told me he wanted to be a real boy. I thought he was joking and he played it off like he was, but at the same time, I don't think he was. He hates going to the hospital." Stiles took a deep breath. "If he keeps it up, he is going to have the fluid drained and that's painful." He paused and shook his head. "If Melissa could hear him, she would make you and Boyd carry him to the hospital right now."  
> "We can." Derek offered gently.  
> "I know." Stiles said and squeezed his hand. "But let him have this. Just tonight. And in the morning, I'll send him."

"Hi Mel." Stiles said when he picked up the phone later. Kira and Allison were in the pool, splashing around with Emeri. Jackson was in the lounger next to Stiles, snoring softly.

"Hey, Stiles. So I get off shift today at four. I can swing by and pick up bug on my way home." Melissa said.

Stiles checked his watch. It was a little past twelve. "You sure? I mean, after-"

"Parrish is coming over tonight to work on some cold cases with your father. I think that she will be perfectly fine." Melissa said easily, as though she were already prepared for this line of argument. "And you need a break. I heard it from a little bird that since your first date was ruined, you haven't had time with that Derek guy."

Stiles turned to glare at Jackson. He knew Melissa and Jackson had biweekly calls to update each other on the gossip.

Jackson was apparently not as asleep as Stiles thought when he saw the small grin on his face.

"You'll call me?" Stiles asked weakly.

"No. Because nothing will happen. Because she will be at the Sheriff's house. Her Pops. And don't let the sweet bedside manner fool you. Us nurses can cause unspeakable pain." Melissa said gently.

"I'll keep that in mind." Stiles said.

"Good. Four thirty, have that little girl ready."

"Yes ma'am." Stiles said and they hung up. He turned to look at Jackson who looked perfectly innocent behind his mirrored aviators. "Gossip." He accused.

"I'm only looking out for you." Jackson sniffed.

Melissa arrived on time and Emeri was packed up and whisked out the door before Stiles could object any further. Then Kira was pulling him back out to the backyard where Jackson was setting up the grill and Allison was setting out glasses and taking stock of the fridge that held all their alcohol.

"Cora said they would be here in a couple of hours." Jackson said. "Plenty of time for us to get refills and figure out what kind of thing is going on this monstrosity." He gestured at the grill, his life long enemy.

"You have Cora's number?" Stiles asked. "I don't even have Cora's number."

"They talk. Twice a week. A lot like him and Melissa." Kira said from the pool.

"I'm losing control over my life."

"And we need more vodka." Allison added. "And some more mixers."

Stiles sighed. "I'll go."

***

When Stiles got back, loaded down with groceries and drinks, there were three more cars in his driveway.

The sky was clear, he could hear the music coming from the back yard, and the breeze was warm. Stiles felt something in him relax.

The door flew open before he even made it up on the porch and Isaac grabbed one of the bags from Stiles' hand.

"Hey! Jackson invited us over. Hope that's ok." He gave Stiles a shy grin.

"Of course it is. You guys can come over any time." Stiles said easily. "I hope we have enough food."

"Laura and Kira went to the store." Isaac called from the kitchen where he was watching setting his bag down. Boyd was at the counter, chopping some vegetables up into neat slices.

"I have more out there. I don't think-" Stiles started.

Derek walked by and kissed Stiles' neck casually. "You haven't seen them eat after swimming in the sun." He said and went out to Stiles' car to get the rest of the groceries. "It's like a massacre!" He called over his shoulder.

Stiles shook his head and put the groceries on the counter. He spotted Scott on the couch, underneath a blanket, fast asleep. His head was pillowed on Erica's thigh and she was running her hand through his hair and was staring off into space. Stiles was struck by the sheer intimacy of them, something that Stiles had only felt when he saw Allison and Scott being particularly affectionate.

"He isn't sleeping." Allison said from Stiles' side. She appeared so quietly that Stiles jumped. "At night," She clarified when she met Stiles' eyes. "He isn't sleeping. I think I need to take him to the hospital."

"Is it his lungs?" Stiles asked and cleared his throat.

Allison chewed on her lower lip. "He has been avoiding Melissa's calls. So I think so."

Stiles nodded. "Wheezing. He's been wheezing."

Allison nodded. "No fever though. No cough."

"Let him sleep?" Stiles suggested. "Maybe a doctor on Monday."

Allison nodded and squeezed his hand.

Stiles stood there a moment longer and then Derek joined him.

"What are you thinking?" Derek prompted after a moment of silence and both of them staring at Scott and Erica.

"Did you know we met when we were four?" Stiles said suddenly.

Derek shook his head. "No." he said softly.

"Yeah. Four years old. The sandbox on the playground of Highland View park. Off of English road?" Stiles said.

"I know it."

"I asked if I could borrow his bucket. He borrowed my shovel. We made the most epic of all sandcastles that day. And that was it. Friendship sealed."

Derek nodded.

"Melissa explained to me what asthma was. I kept an inhaler in my bag from first grade until we graduated college. When Melissa wasn't there, I took care of him."

Derek stared at him.

"The first time he got pneumonia, I was there at the hospital every day. Lydia came by to tutor, Jackson came by to fill him in on the gossip." Stiles nodded. "It worked. Then the same thing in college. Scott and I were roommates and then Allison came along and between me and her, we kept him good."

"Why doesn't he go to the hospital? Why won't he talk to his mom?" Derek asked quietly. From any other person, those questions would have contained a tone of judgement. Derek, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely want to understand.

"Once, when we were little, he told me he wanted to be a real boy. I thought he was joking and he played it off like he was, but at the same time, I don't think he was. He hates going to the hospital." Stiles took a deep breath. "If he keeps it up, he is going to have the fluid drained and that's painful." He paused and shook his head. "If Melissa could hear him, she would make you and Boyd carry him to the hospital right now."

"We can." Derek offered gently.

"I know." Stiles said and squeezed his hand. "But let him have this. Just tonight. And in the morning, I'll send him."

Derek looked at him.

"I promise. I'll even call you and Boyd if I have to." Stiles said. "Who knows? Maybe Erica petting him to sleep is all he needs."

Derek frowned at Stiles but didn't answer.

Eventually they moved out to the backyard and left Scott and Erica. Stiles joined Jackson at the grill and Derek joined Allison who was drinking a beer and kicking her legs in the pool.

"What are you thinking?" Derek asked when he sat down and dipped his own legs in the water. It was warm.

Allison wore sunglasses over her eyes. "Part of the reason he doesn't want to have kids is that he is afraid he won't be able to keep up with them. Football, soccer, whatever. I told him that I would quit and stay with them and he just said that I shouldn't have to take care of two kids." She shook her head and smiled. "He said he always wanted to be a stay at home dad and that I always wanted to be a detective and that's how it should always be."

"Do you want to tell him?" Derek asked quietly.

"Yes." Allison whispered.

"Do you want me to give him the bite?" Derek asked.

It was a good thing that Jackson and Stiles had their backs to everyone else because at that moment, everyone turned to look at them. Kira looked around, confused. Lydia studied Allison from the floating lounger in the pool, drink in hand.

"Yes."

Derek nodded. "Ok." He said and stood. He met Laura's eyes from across the pool and tipped his head inside. She nodded and followed him in.

Erica was dozing on the couch, her bare palm on Scott's neck. She was taking some of the pain from him, enough for him to sleep easily. She opened one eye when Derek approached with Laura at his side.

"It's fine. I'm ok." She whispered. "He needs sleep. Don't move him."

Laura leaned over Scott and kissed Erica's hair. Derek hunkered down in front of Scott. He put his hand on Scott's side. He didn't need to lean in any closer to hear the fluids in Scott's lungs.

"If you tell Scott, he's going to tell Stiles." Laura said softly.

Derek nodded.

"You're ok with that?" Laura whispered.

Derek looked up at her. "Listen to him, Lo."

Laura ran her hand through Derek's hair. "You know what you're doing."

Derek turned back to Scott and studied his features for a moment. He opened his mouth to wake Scott but was startled when the front door flew open. Scott jerked awake underneath Erica's hand and Erica turned around. Derek stood, rounded the couch and went to the front door.

A young man was casually strolling through the door and behind Derek, he heard the others come through the back and into the living room.

"Who- Derek, do you know this guy?" Stiles asked.

The guy grinned and his eyes sparkled. Under normal circumstances, Derek would have said he was handsome but the arrogance oozed from him, made him unseemly and slimy.

"Alpha Hale." The guy said jovially. Then he looked over to Laura. "Your Beta. Amazing."

"Derek?" Jackson said.

"What do you want?" Derek asked coolly. He took a step forward. Laura tracked his movements and gestured to the others.

"Your head on a stake." The guy said in that same even tone, as though they were having an enjoyable conversation about the weather.

Derek heard the slide and click of a gun before the actual shot was fired and saw the guy jerk away at the last second, taking the bullet high in his shoulder. It spun him around and when everyone looked back, Stiles had a gun in his hands, and his hands were steady.

There was a silence when the guy stumbled for a moment but all hell broke loose when he turned, his eyes on Stiles, glowing bright gold. He darted forward, and swiped at Boyd and Isaac, laid Isaac's arm open and then Boyd's chest. He pushed past them, headed straight for Stiles and Allison and Scott. They were across the room from Derek, on the far side, now with the guy in the center of all of them, just past the hallway that led to the bedrooms. From the corner of Derek's eye, just past Boyd, Lydia emerged from the hall, a bat in her hands. She was the only one with any kind of placement strategy over the guy. Derek saw her resolve harden when she saw her friends in danger and she swung with all her might, aimed straight at the guy's head.

The guy was stunned, as he had his back to the hall. Lydia backed off, her bare feet silent on the carpet and even Derek had to take a small second to appreciate the sheer courage of the move.

It was enough time for the guy to grab Lydia by the throat and _throw_ her at Stiles. Stiles took the brunt of the fall and his head hit the wall with a sickening thump. Allison fell next to him, Scott half in her lap, gasping for air.

The guy strode forward again and this time, Derek and Laura moved as one. Laura went to Stiles and stood in front of him and the others. Erica followed her and Derek met the guy in the middle of the room and threw him back and away from the humans.

"What's your name?" Derek demanded.

"Your pack will be calling me alpha." The guy sneered. "But you can call me Theo."

Derek laughed. "Sure. Ok."

Theo snarled and Derek heard the challenge. "That all you got?" Derek demanded.

The growl heightened in volume and Theo's fangs were visible.

"What the fuck." Stiles whispered. He heard Lydia's accompanying whimper and Allison hushing them both.

"Your boyfriend doesn't know, Hale?" Theo asked. "Hell of a way for him to find out."

"Get out or die." Derek said evenly. His voice was rough and slurred through his fangs.

"St-Stiles?" Scott gasped.

"It's ok, buddy. It's ok. Derek's got it." Stiles whispered.

Theo tried to go around Derek but Derek stopped him. They went around a few more times, until Derek grew weary of what he was doing.

"Lo." Derek snapped and that was the thing about having a sibling by your side all your life; there was something about starting your life with one person and having them by your side all the time.

They just _knew_.

Laura left through the backdoor and for the first time, Theo looked worried.

"Something wrong?" Derek asked.

"Der." Erica muttered.

He heard Laura's footsteps return, accompanied with two others.

"Twins for twins." Theo said and winked.

Derek had enough. He spread his legs apart and let his face shift, felt his muscles loosen, his shoulders broaden and roared.

Boyd and Isaac stood, however unsteadily.

Theo grinned and ran for Stiles and the others. Laura growled and snapped when someone reached for her.

Derek let the wolf out.

Later, Derek couldn't recall exactly how it happened. He knew that Laura led the others against the twins he had yet to see. He knew that there was blood, that Theo begged, that the blood on the hardwood floor made it slippery but when it was all said and done, Derek was soaked in blood that was not his own.

"Hey." Stiles was saying in his ear. "Hey, come back. Come back, Der. Can you hear me?"

Derek nodded. He couldn't speak around his fangs. They cut into his lip.

"Put it away. I need your help." Stiles whispered. "Put it away."

When Derek was aware of himself once again, he was in his car and Scott and Stiles were in the back and he could hear Stiles begging Scott to stay awake.

"Focus." Allison snapped at him.

Derek turned his eyes back on the road.

Then they were in the hospital and Scott was being wheeled away and Allison was speaking to someone and Stiles was filling out paperwork. Derek was sitting down in a hard plastic chair, staring down at shoes that weren't his. There was still blood under his fingernails.

"Hey." Stiles whispered when he saw that Derek was blinking at him. "You back with us?"

Derek cleared his throat and looked down at his clothes. He didn't know how he had gotten clean or how he had gotten in these clothes. He nodded.

"Is he ok?" Derek asked.

Stiles stared at him, his expression unreadable. "They are going to have to drain his lungs. He has a fever. There's some pain."

Derek nodded. "I didn't mean-"

Stiles clasped his neck and pulled him forward so that they were pressed forehead to forehead. "You did what I was going to do."

Derek closed his eyes.

"You just made a hell of a mess and did it with your hands and teeth." Stiles whispered. "Dude, what the fuck."

"I'm sorry." Derek whispered.

"No. I mean- Just-" Stiles sniffed. "Shut up and let me finish the paperwork. Then we can do this."

Derek nodded.

It wasn't that much later when John and Melissa stumbled in. They both looked wild and scared. They saw Stiles at the desk first and he led them over to where Derek sat, still staring blankly at the floor. Melissa shot Stiles a look and crouched in front of Derek. She snapped her fingers and whispered his name. He struggled to focus for a minute and then finally made his eyes follow her finger.

"Stand up." John ordered and gripped him by his upper arm.

Derek went willingly enough. Melissa stood shoulder to shoulder with John and Stiles stood at an angle, creating a weird kind of human horse shoe.

"Derek." John said and Derek blinked. There seemed to be cotton in his ears and on his tongue. He could feel his chest rise and fall slowly.

"He's in shock." Melissa muttered.

"Do I call someone?" Stiles asked

John and Melissa shared one of those looks, something only people who had known each other for a very long time could read.

"I know." Stiles whispered.

John and Melissa turned and looked at him.

"I just found out. I don't know anything else other than that I know _something_."

John looked at Derek. "Gotta come back now, son. Ok?"

Derek nodded numbly. It felt like there was a great big shell that he couldn't punch through and it was stopping all his movements, it softened everything, slowed everything.

He felt Melissa's warm hand in his own and then she took two of his fingers in hers and Derek realized, a second before she did it, what she was going to do.

She snapped the bones in his hand and there- that flush of adrenaline, that bright flash of pain, that punched through the hard shell around him and he gasped.

"Mel!" Stiles hissed.

"Don't-" John said and forced Derek's chin up. "Come on, boy. Come on."

Derek forced himself to flex his fingers, forced the bones back to where they should be and he blinked and everything came back into a screaming focus. He sucked in a deep breath and looked around. He felt his back straighten and blinked a few more times and then focused on the three in front of him.

"I need to get back to your house. I need to clean up-" Derek started.

"Isaac and Boyd and Allison are taking care of it." Stiles said quietly.

"Emeri-" He started.

"Lo and Erica are at the house." John said softly.

Derek let out a long breath and his shoulders slumped. He rubbed his face and shook his head. "His name was Theo. I didn't know him. I don't know- I've never lost control like that." He said. "I don't know why I just snapped like that."

"I can't say that I'm sorry that you did." Melissa said. She reached up and pulled him down to her height and kissed his cheek. She left them and snapped at someone to open the door to the ER so that she could go see Scott.

John looked at the door Melissa had gone through and then back at Stiles and Derek. "I'll call you when we know something ok? Right now, I think you should go get Emeri. She's worried."

Stiles nodded and saw the sense in that. "Yeah, ok."

Derek put a hand on Stiles' back and led him out the doors. Stiles remembered all the times him and Scott would play with the automatic doors, enjoying the _swoosh_ sound it made when it opened. They thought they would pilot space ships when they were older.

"If anyone can build a space ship, it's you two." Derek said confidently and started the car.

"I didn't realize I said that out loud." Stiles said.

Derek looked at him and smiled. He shook his head. "I think you do that more than you know." He took a deep breath and looked down at the steering wheel. "You're scared." He said.

Stiles nodded.

"I'm sorry." Derek whispered. "I wanted to- I wanted to be better than this."

"Don't say that again." Stiles snapped, sounding much harsher than he meant to. "Don't be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry for." He snorted. "Hell, I shot the guy before you even took the claws out."

"I should have told you." Derek insisted.

"I wouldn't have told you." Stiles said. He met Derek's eyes and saw the surprise there. "Honestly. If our situations were reversed, I wouldn't have. Not until the day I proposed."

"Were you planning on proposing?" Derek asked.

"I mean, not right now." Stiles said. "If I did there would be less blood. A lot less blood-" Derek winced when he heard Stiles' teeth clack shut and he watched his eyes grow wide.

"What?" Derek said.

"I'm sorry." Stiles said and turned to Derek fully. He grasped his face in his hands and made Derek look at him. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Derek said, his words slightly muffled for the way that Stiles' was grasping his face.

"Scott and I. We said werewolves are lame. We said that there weren't lamer monsters out there."

"'s ok." Derek said.

"No, it's not, Derek. Werewolves are _not_ lame. You got- like- scary. You tore a guy apart for threatening us. You have reflexes like a _cat_. Ok, maybe not- You know what I mean!" Stiles huffed and met Derek's eyes. Derek desperately wanted to laugh but knew now wasn't the time. "Werewolves are terrifying."

"I know." Derek said and nodded.

"I respect you. As a werewolf. As a terrifying monster. I want you to know that. I respect your werewolf-ness. And the terror inducing factor."

Derek nodded but he looked worried. Stiles hadn't let go of his face.

"Wait, how do you know? You are a werewolf." Stiles pointed out. "Did the one who bite you scare the shit out of you? Did you run from him? I would have run from him. Did you bite your sister? Wait-" Stiles said but Derek put a hand over Stiles mouth.

"My parents were werewolves. I was born a werewolf." Derek said and tugged Stiles' hands away from his face. Stiles wondered how he missed the barely leashed strength there. "If you think it was bad having a Sheriff for a father, try having an Alpha for a mom."

"I don't know what that means but it sounds terrifying." Stiles whispered.

"It was." Derek assured him. "And werewolves _are_ kind of lame." He put the car in reverse.

Stiles snorted. "No. What? How?"

"The movies like to show us as these huge rumbling beasts that roll through town and steal all the women and turn people into wolves and build these great big packs and there is this constant fight for dominance. But the truth is so much more mundane than that." Derek said and started for John's house.

"What is the truth?" Stiles asked.

"It's just- we gather the strays to us. We foster kids. Dad never resented mom for being the alpha. There was no male macho bullshit. The fact of the matter was that mom was the alpha and that was that. No challenges. Hierarchy existed and... that was it. Mom was the Alpha. When she died, I became the Alpha, Laura went on with her life." Derek hummed and stopped at the a red light. "Sometimes I think she was relieved that it wasn't her."

"Is it always the oldest that becomes the Alpha next?" Stiles asked.

"No." Derek said. "Mom was the fourth in her family. No one knows why it went to her when her mom died. It just did. And they all rolled with it."

"Why the karate?" Stiles asked.

"I was aggressive as a teenager. An aggressive teenage boy is shitty enough but throw in supernatural strength on top of it?" Derek shook his head. "Dad thought that karate might give me a better handle on the anger and it did. It did do that. But it also taught me a bunch of other things too."

"Like?" Stiles pressed.

"How to listen. Discipline. Structure. Humility. Nothing like getting your ass kicked in front of a couple hundred people when your opponent is human and at least half the audience knows you aren't. It taught me how to be still. It taught me how to teach." Derek looked over at him. "It taught me gratitude."

"You are too much." Stiles muttered.

"Nah." Derek said. They arrived at John's house and Derek tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He cleared his throat. "If you don't want to- I mean, I understand that if you need time for-"

Stiles waited, wanted Derek to finish his words.

Derek looked up and glared at the car across the street. "Once you know, it's harder. It becomes harder for me to separate you from my pack."

"Pack." Stiles murmured.

"Laura, Erica, Boyd, Cora, Isaac, and Allison."

"Allison?" Stiles said.

Derek looked down and Stiles wasn't even sure he heard the question. "When you're pack, it's like family, but it's more. It's like- it's like if I were to lose one of them, I might as well cut off my own foot. I can feel them and I need them to be who I am."

"Allison." Stiles said. "Does Scott know?"

"That was part of what it was, I think. With Theo. He came in and said that he was going to take it all and I just-" Derek shook his head and his shoulders dropped. For having killed the bad guys so effortlessly, he looked pretty defeated. "I just want to do this with you. I came back here, I brought everyone back here for a chance at that, you know?"

"If Scott knows, I'm going to have to kill him." Stiles said gently.

"You aren't reacting like most people do." Derek said.

"I'm not sure how to react. I liked you before I knew and if it was a part of you before I even knew, it kind of follows suit that this a small part that contributes to the much greater, hotter whole before me. And I like-" Stiles shrugged. "I like it. I like you. I like them." He tipped his head to the side. "And as long as Scott wasn't told before me, there's nothing to forgive."

"Scott didn't know."

"See? Nothing to forgive." Stiles said. He held his hand out. After a long moment, Derek slid his hand into Stiles'. "Now let's go get my baby."

Derek squeezed his hand before they left the car and went to go get Emeri.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No boys allowed. Stay away. Girls only." The text read.  
> "Did you sisters exile you?" Stiles asked. They had reached the Jeep by that point.  
> Derek sighed tragically and pulled out Stiles' keys. The Loki Lego figurine that Jackson had bought him dangled from his fingertips. "It looks like it. Too bad I don't know anyone who has lots of room to spare and might be kind enough to offer me a bed for the night."  
> Stiles nodded. "It's terrible. Poor alpha werewolf. Looks like you might have to bed down in the woods for the night."

Once at home, Stiles got on the phone with Melissa to check on Scott. Laura and Erica had gone home, along with everyone else. Derek went to Stiles' house and was puttering around the kitchen, warming some stuff up, while Emeri watched him with those big green eyes of hers.

"You like my daddy." She said out of nowhere.

Derek was chewing on a piece of chicken and he nodded. "I do." He agreed.

"Are you his boyfriend?" She asked.

Derek tipped his head to the side and regarded Stiles' back from the living room. "We haven't talked about it yet, but I'd like to think so."

Emeri nodded and said softly, "I know you're a black belt and my sensei and everything, but if you hurt my dad, I'll have to get you back for that, you know."

Derek raised his eyebrows.

Emeri shrugged and left the kitchen.

Stiles came back, to find Derek staring at Emeri's retreating back.

"What?" He asked.

"I think Emeri just threatened my life." Derek said.

"Hm." Stiles nodded and then caught the worry in Derek's eye. "What?" He said and looked back the way Emeri had left. "She's nine and not like you. Don't tell me you are actually concerned she'll hurt you."

Derek didn't reply. Instead he cleared his throat and said, "How's Scott?"

Stiles' eyes darkened. "They are having to drain his lungs. The fever is down but it's still there." He shook his head. "I don't know, Der."

"I could-" Derek cleared his throat. "I had already talked to Allison. I can-" He gestured to his face.

"What?" Stiles said, clueless. He blinked slowly at Derek and looked from Derek's hand to his mouth, back down to his hand. "Oh!" Then he swallowed. "Oh."

"It would get rid of everything. He'd be able to do all the things he wants to do." Derek said slowly.

Stiles thought of all the times that Scott had grinned at him and Emeri, while sitting off on the sidelines. He thought of the inhalers, a near constant presence. He thought of the hospital visits, the allergies, the tubes inserted in Scott-

"Yeah." Stiles said and cleared his throat. "I think we should at least talk with him? See if it's something that he'd... want?"

Derek nodded. "I'll call Erica. See if she'll meet us over there. She can watch Emeri while we talk to him."

The trip was relatively quiet and Emeri dozed off in the backseat while Derek drove. Stiles didn't want to admit it, but Derek looked good behind the wheel of his Jeep. When they got to the hospital, Emeri was completely out and Derek manuvered her out of the back easily and quietly, barely jostling her. He carried her inside, her arms draped casually over his shoulders, her face buried in the soft curls at his neck. Her legs hung down to his thighs and Stiles shook his head. He hadn't been able to carry her that easily in years.

"What?" Derek asked.

"Does she weigh anything to you?"

"Like picking up a candy bar." Derek said and offered Stiles his free hand, because of course the alpha werewolf could easily carry a nine year old girl with one arm.

_Of course_.

"What about me?" Stiles said. "Could you carry us both at once?"

"You'd be more like an extra large tub of popcorn." Derek mused.

"What are we, snack pack?" Stiles grumbled and Derek laughed.

"My very own snack pack." Derek said and Stiles felt something like a very pleased growl roll down through Derek's arm and into their interlaced fingers.

In the hospital, Derek handed Emeri over to Erica who held her just as easily as Derek. "I'm going to take her home." She whispered. "Come get her whenever." She frowned when she looked down at her phone. "Or in the morning. It's late."

Derek kissed her forehead and she gave Stiles a one armed hug.

"I don't let her go with just anyone." Stiles informed Derek. "Three months ago, I couldn't let her out of my sight and now she's going to go stay the night with Erica like it's no big deal."

"Do you think there is a safer place than with the rest of the pack?" Derek said and crossed his arms over his chest. Stiles had to remind himself not to stare at the way it made his already considerable biceps seem larger. "We aren't animals, but there are some unmistakable similarities."

"What are you talking about?" Stiles asked.

"Packs have been known to tear threats to cubs apart. Anyone who might even look at her wrong, they'll be on the sharp end of some serious teeth." Derek said and let his eyes flash at Stiles.

"Put those away, we are in public." Stiles said softly and maybe a little breathlessly.

Derek did it again and grinned. "I think I can take care of us."

"I'll take care of _you_." Stiles threatened and then laughed. "I didn't mean that- no, I'm not going to lie to you, yes I did. I totally did."

Derek laughed. "Let's go talk to Scott."

They made their way up to Scott's private room, the perk of being the stepson of the Sheriff and the son of one of the most loved nurses in the hospital. When they got up there, Isaac was lounging outside the door, talking with John.

"Anything?" Derek asked when they met them down the hall from Scott's room.

"I thought there was something but they either saw the Sheriff or me and left. But it was so brief-" Isaac shrugged.

Derek clapped him on the shoulder. "Good." He said.

"Do you want me stay?" Isaac asked.

Derek seemed to think and nodded. "Yeah, just in case."

Isaac nodded and went to the chair by Scott's room.

"Are you going to bite him?" John asked.

"If he wants it." Derek said evenly.

John looked to Stiles but he could only shrug. "Who knows?" He said.

"I'll leave you to it, then." John said. He nodded at Isaac, hugged Stiles, and clapped Derek on the shoulder. The three of them watched him walk away.

"Ok." Derek said. "Let's do this." He rubbed his hands together and Stiles approached the door first, pushed it open.

Scott was in the bed, Allison close at his side, a book in her hand. She looked up at them and smiled. Scott opened his eyes for a moment and pulled the oxygen mask off his face. "Dude." He said to Stiles. "Did you know that Derek was a werewolf?"

"Not till you did, buddy." Stiles said and slid into a chair on the other side of Scott. He replaced the mask and fixed a twisted strap.

Derek paused at the door and tried to cover up the shock on his face. He knew Scott was sick, but it was entirely different seeing it laid out like this in front of him. He could smell the pain wafting off him and he settled himself next to Scott's legs and picked up his hand before he quite knew what he was doing. Scott opened his eyes and gave Derek a small smile. He said something but Derek looked to Stiles for the translation.

"He said, Dude, you're a werewolf." Stiles said.

Derek ducked his head and nodded. He stroked Scott's knuckles and began to pull a little of the pain off Scott, enough for him to maintain consciousness and an even train of thought. Derek watched Stiles watch the pain disappear up his arm.

"What is that?" Stiles asked and reached out. His fingers hovered over where the black lines were disappearing up Derek's forearm.

"Pain." Derek said.

"They can take it from people." Allison provided.

"Oh." Stiles said in a small voice.

"Our bodies are wired to heal faster and this is just... I don't know, my dad said it was a weird genetic mutation from that. It's like we metabolize and we can shake it off." Derek said and watched Scott's eyes gain some awareness. "Hey." He said to Scott.

"Hey." Scott said, although slightly muffled because of the mask. "Did you kill that guy?"

"I did." Derek said evenly.

Scott turned to Allison. "Did you cover up for him?"

Allison nodded.

Scott leaned back and regarded the ceiling for a long, slow moment. "Good." He finally said. "Not that I don't appreciate the visit, but you guys seem to be here for a reason and I don't see flowers." Then he paused and looked to Allison. "You knew, didn't you?"

She nodded.

Scott opened his mouth and shifted towards her but she put a hand on his chest. "Another story for a completely different time. Let's talk to Derek first, ok?"

Derek took a deep breath and looked to Stiles. "It's never like this. Usually it's under the worst circumstances. Like, life or death." Then he turned to Scott, "With Boyd, he had been stabbed. Erica had a seizure and they didn't know if she was going to wake up. Isaac had been beaten almost to death by his dad."

"What are you talking about?" Scott murmured.

"Cora, Laura, and I were all born wolves. It's all we've ever known." Derek said slowly and looked down where his hand was wrapped around Scott's. "We're faster, stronger, we heal just about everything." He cleared his throat. "We don't get sick. Ever."

"Show off." Scott said fondly.

Derek opened his mouth, closed it, looked to Stiles, and shook his head. He dropped his chin to his chest and laughed. The sound warmed Stiles to the tips of his toes and he felt even more affection for Scott than he had before because he had made Derek sound like that.

"That's not entirely unwarranted." Derek said and shook his head again. "But- I want to- I mean, if you want. It's a lot to offer and it's up to you."

"Are you asking me if I would go to werewolf prom with you, Derek?" Scott asked and pulled the mask off. "Because I'd love to but I'm a married man." He tipped his head at Allison who rolled her eyes affectionately.

"No, he's asking you if you want to join his werewolf family." Stiles said.

"Pack." Derek corrected automatically.

"Pack." Stiles said and nodded.

Scott's brow furrowed and he looked down where Derek's hand was drawing away the pain. He studied the place where Derek's hand met his arm and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Can I think about it?" Scott asked slowly. "Just for the night."

"Of course." Derek said immediately.

"We can be back in the morning." Stiles suggested.

Their morning was going to be busy, by the looks of it.

Scott nodded and then Derek was pulling his hand away and Scott was wincing. Derek left the room before Stiles, to give them some privacy.

Scott closed his eyes for a minute and then opened them to look at Stiles. "Only you." He whispered. The machines around them hissed.

Stiles nodded. "Only I would find a supernatural person to date. But hey, he might be able to help you out with your very minor and slight breathing problem. So. I mean, that's a point in his favor, right?"

That won the smile that Stiles had been looking for and Scott waved him out of the room. Stiles closed the door behind him and Isaac looked up expectantly from where he had been studying the floor while Derek lingered in the hallway.

"Do you think-?" Isaac asked.

Stiles shrugged. "Hard to say. Scott's always wanted to run and play like the rest of us, now more than ever because him and Allison want kids. He wants that. But-" He looked over to Derek.

"He's scared." Derek said softly.

Stiles nodded.

"Call Boyd or Laura if you need a break." Derek instructed and put a hand to the back of Isaac's neck. Stiles watched, fascinated, as any tension in Isaac's body fled and left him looking loose and relaxed. He gave Derek a look of gratitude and then Derek was holding his hand out to Stiles and leading them to the elevator at the end of the hall.

When the doors closed, Stiles turned to Derek and asked, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Derek asked, looking distracted.

"The neck thing you did to Isaac. He looked all... relaxed."

"Oh. It's a-" Derek waved his hand. "It's a pack thing. Betas find comfort in their alpha's touch and the alphas find assurance in touching. When there's high stress or anything like that, it's a natural instinct to touch and be touched."

Stiles was quiet for a moment and Derek could see the wheels turning his head, could see him storing that fact away. "You don't touch me." He said softly and then blinked. "You don't touch me _as much_."

Derek leveled a gaze at Stiles. "I have a lot of self restraint when it comes to humans and their need for personal space."

"I don't have personal space. I'm a parent." Stiles pointed out. Derek could hear the note of reproach in his voice.

"Are you giving me blanket permission? Because you might not like the results." Derek warned and there was a glimmer of red in his green-gray-blue eyes.

"Yes, it is. You have nothing on a sick kid. I'll have you know- oof!" Stiles huffed and found himself pinned against one side of the elevator. Derek's hand shot out and he pressed the stop button and then he wrapped his arm around Stiles' back and buried his face in Stiles' neck. He pressed the length of himself against Stiles, pushing him against the wall and practically rubbed himself against Stiles chest and neck and thighs.

"Oh my god." Stiles said. Derek reached down and put Stiles' arms around his neck and then bent over a little and picked him up by the backs of his thighs and wrapped them around Derek's waist. "I could have been mistaken. Are you sure you aren't a were-octopus?"

"Whenever I am around you, I have to remind myself not to touch _constantly_. I have to tell myself to keep my hands to myself. It's _torture_. I want to bury you in my scent, I want you to smell like me and my pack and-"

"Hey there in the elevator." A voice came over the speaker. "Everything ok?"

Derek pulled back and looked at Stiles. His fangs were out and his words were thick and slurred. His eyes were gleaming red.

"Uh- yeah. Yeah! We just accidentally hit the wrong button and we're trying to figure out how to get it going again?" Stiles managed.

"Just put the stop button again and then your desired floor." The guy on the other end sounded tired.

"Sure thing!" Stiles said. It was a struggle, but a minute later, Derek let Stiles go and the elevator was moving again. Derek was standing noticeably closer and his hand was shoved in Stiles' back pocket. When they left the elevator they got a few looks from several nuns that were waiting to get on but Derek just gave them a curt nod and pushed-shoved-pulled Stiles to the exit. Halfway across the parking lot, Stiles' phone buzzed and seeing as it was in the pocket that was also occupied by Derek's hand, he was the one who pulled it out and slid it open. He smirked and showed Stiles the text.

Emeri was curled up in a gigantic four poster bed, Laura on one side, Cora on the other, Lydia lounging at their feet and Erica in front of them all, taking a picture. There was a gigantic tub of popcorn in Laura's lap and it looked like Cora was painting Emeri's nails.

_"No boys allowed. Stay away. Girls only."_ The text read.

"Did you sisters exile you?" Stiles asked. They had reached the Jeep by that point.

Derek sighed tragically and pulled out Stiles' keys. The Loki Lego figurine that Jackson had bought him dangled from his fingertips. "It looks like it. Too bad I don't know anyone who has lots of room to spare and might be kind enough to offer me a bed for the night."

Stiles nodded. "It's terrible. Poor alpha werewolf. Looks like you might have to bed down in the woods for the night."

"You know the big, bad wolf always comes looking for a house to blow down." Derek murmured and took a half step closer. Stiles took a step back, but found the Jeep pinning him in. He grinned. He was enjoying their game.

"Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin." Stiles insisted.

Derek ducked in closer, caged Stiles in with his arms and dipped his head to the crook of Stiles' neck. Stiles offered himself up like a sacrifice. "Little pig, little pig..." Derek murmured and licked the length of Stiles' neck.

Stiles squeaked.

"Get a room!" They heard a voice across the parking lot and when Derek turned, his eyes red once more, they spotted Boyd laughing at them and running inside the hospital, possibly to keep Isaac company, but more likely to get away from Derek.

"Boyd is a smart guy." Stiles pointed out.

Derek turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yes." Stiles said and leaned forward to kiss the little bit of fang that was peeking out from Derek's lips. "Please." He added.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Believe it or not, most people like me don't expect to be bitten by people like you." Derek huffed.

"You are paying for all repairs and damages." Stiles said as he clung to the roll bar in his Jeep. "There is a lot of sentimental value in this thing." He added and squeezed his eyes shut as Derek took another turn way too fast.

"If I fix it with my shirt off, do I get brownie points?" Derek asked and when Stiles looked over at him, he was grinning.

"Oh shut up." Stiles hissed.

They finally pulled into Stiles' driveway, safely, much to Stiles' surprise. He let out a sigh of relief and they got out of the Jeep and headed up to the house. Derek kept close to Stiles' side and they kept bumping sides and Stiles couldn't help but grin down at his shoes. Stiles opened the door and instructed Peny to turn on the lights overhead.

"Hungry?" Stiles asked and opened the fridge. He began pulling things out of the fridge and handing them over his shoulder.

"Starving." Derek said. When Stiles turned around, he was already munching on some leftovers from the earlier planned barbeque that was so rudely interrupted. He had a spoon in some chicken salad and was eating it directly from the bowl.

"You going to let me in on that or are you keeping it all for yourself?" Stiles asked and raised an eyebrow.

Derek growled.

Stiles rolled his eyes and turned back to the fridge. He pulled out some ribs and a brisket and wondered how all this had gotten past him without him noticing. Then he saw a bowl that was labeled _Boyd's macaroni and cheese, if you eat this,_ Isaac _, I will hide all your socks_.

Stiles chuckled and pulled it out. Derek studied the note before splitting the bowl in half, a portion for each of them and smirking at the note.

When they had themselves a decent plate each, they made their way to the couch. Stiles flipped on the tv and they ate in relative silence. When they finished, Derek took their plates back into the kitchen and washed them quickly and returned to find the coach empty and noises coming from the back hall that led to Stiles' bedroom and Derek took a deep breath to steady himself before taking a step in that direction.

Then Stiles re-emerged from the hallway, carrying a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and held them out to Derek. "I won't be comfortable until you are." He explained. He was dressed in much the same manner and Derek took the clothes from him and headed to the room he and the others had stayed in the last time. He changed quickly and took a deep breath. It smelled like Stiles and Emeri and all the other people in Stiles' life and Derek was quickly equating that smell with _home_ and _pack_.

He was getting in over his head more and more.

When he came back out, Stiles was flipping through more channels before settling on a scary movie about exorcisms and demons and self sacrificing priests.

Derek fell on the couch beside him and curled into Stiles, making as much contact as he could. "Interesting movie choice. If you wanted to get me to cuddle you, you didn't have to put on a scary movie though."

"I think all I would have to do is hold still longer than three seconds," Stiles observed as Derek rearranged them on the couch into no less than four different positions before he was satisfied. When Derek looked up at the screen he frowned.

Stiles poked his eyebrows. "You don't like scary movies?"

Derek paused and ran his hands through Stiles' hair. It was getting long. "I don't like _these_ kinds of scary movies." He said. He was laid out on his back, the couch wide enough and long enough for Stiles to lay between Derek's legs, so that they were chest to chest.

"Why not?" Stiles asked and gently bit his pec.

"What are you doing? Stop that." Derek mumbled.

"Why don't you like these scary movies?" Stiles pressed.

Derek sighed. "If you picked anything else, any other scary movie, with any other monster, I know how to handle it. We have lore. Legends. I can fight them off."

"But not this?" Stiles asked and turned to the TV where the girl was being locked in an empty room alone by her sinister boyfriend.

"This is beyond me." Derek admitted and everything flared red for a moment. "I don't like things that I don't know how to handle."

"Hm." Stiles said and slithered down Derek's body. He bit the area just under his ribs and Derek jerked in response. Stiles looked up, his brown eyes wide. "Are you _ticklish_?" He asked.

"No." Derek said. "You just surprised me, is all."

Stiles raised his eyebrows.

"Believe it or not, most people like me don't expect to be bitten by people like you." Derek huffed.

"I feel like that was an insult." Stiles said and hummed. "Not sure how though. I'll have to think about it and get back to you on that."

A second later, the coffee table was pushed aside and Stiles found himself on his back and looking up at Derek. His hands were held in a loose grip above his head and Derek straddled his hips.

"I mean-" Stiles tried but found himself cut off when he _felt_ Derek growl.

Derek grinned at him. "I'm the one who usually does the biting."

"I have an oral fixation, what can I say?" Stiles muttered. He watched Derek's eyes go kind of distant and smirked. "Yes." Stiles said and nodded. "That too."

Derek ducked down and kissed him hard and pulled him to his feet. With an ease that still baffled Stiles, Derek picked him up and wrapped his legs around Derek's waist.

"I swear to you, if anyone comes and interrupts, I'll kill them myself." Stiles hissed and kissed whatever part of Derek he was closest to. "I'll rip them apart and you can just hang out."

"Should I find that hot?" Derek asked and stumbled over some Legos that were on the floor. Stiles was pleased to see that stepping on Legos even hurt werewolves, if the flash of pain on Derek's face was anything to go by.

"Maybe." Stiles said and tugged gently on Derek's hair to get him to tip his head back so Stiles could kiss his mouth. "Maybe it's a display of like, you are mine and this is our time and I've waited long enough-"

Derek stumbled again and Stiles wanted to mock him for walking around like a drunken frat boy but he realized that Derek had pushed Stiles against a wall and was using his now free hands to pull Stiles' shirt off and then his own.

 _"Yes_." Stiles muttered and put his hands on Derek's now bare shoulders. "I like this improvement. Very much. Ten out of ten, would definitely recommend, but not this one-" Stiles sucked in a huge breath, "This one is all mine."

Derek laughed.

"I talk when I'm nervous." Stiles said. "Shut up. It's rude to make fun of a person." He leaned in and nibbled on Derek's ear as Derek continued the journey to Stiles' room. "We don't all look like we're carved from sun kissed marble, you know."

"Sun kissed- what?" Derek muttered. He stepped on another pile of Legos. He had to remember to rebuild all of Emeri's stuff he was swiftly destroying.

"You're intimidating. Your muscles have muscles. Do your eyebrows have muscles?" Stiles said and kissed Derek's forehead.

"I am not intimidating. I'm stepping on Legos." Derek hissed.

"You and your pack. You're all built like-"

"I like your body. I like your human-ness." Derek said and triumphantly threw open Stiles' door.

"Human-ness? Don't think that's a word."

Derek made his way over to the giant bed and tossed Stiles down. "It is." Derek said and nodded seriously. He tugged Stiles' sweatpants off and threw them over his shoulder dramatically. "There is a human-ness to you that I'll never have."

"Which is what?" Stiles asked and watched as Derek traced the arch of his foot with a firm pressure of his hands. Derek raised his foot and pressed a kiss to his ankle.

"When I fight anything else like me, we tear at each other," Derek let his foot drop and gently pushed Stiles' legs apart, creating a space for himself, "There's blood and screams and it's violent and messy and raw." He paused and tugged Stiles' boxers down to reveal the whole of his hip bone and pressed another kiss there, "Because we know, whichever one of us walks away, the marks fade into nothing. It's nothing, nothing at all," He paused and bit down gently on Stiles' rib cage, "To tear into someone else like me. But you-" Derek closed his eyes and shuddered. He put his forehead against Stiles' sternum and laid there for a moment.

Stiles didn't speak. Whatever Derek was feeling or about to say was as fragile as the first spring breeze. It could be gone in a half a heartbeat if Stiles let it go.

Or worse, pushed it away.

"You're human. You would bear those marks for as long as you lived. Every single thing you have gone through since you were born," Derek said and Stiles felt his fingers on the cool scar where he had his appendix removed, "It leaves something on you. I'm a blank canvas. I always will be. No one will ever look at me and think, _He must have gotten that scar from work_. I'll never be able to say, _I got that scar from skateboarding when I was a kid_. What you say is perfect, I say is blank." Derek looked up at Stiles and drew Stiles hand to his mouth and kissed the scar on his thumb where he had cut himself chopping up vegetables with his mom. "You are the most beautiful painting I have seen. You are a story I could read forever and never finish. Your human-ness tells me everything you endured and everything you challenged and everything you overcame to be here." Derek pressed a kiss to the center of Stiles' chest, where his heart was beating like a wild rabbit's. "To let me hold this in my arms, like it's not the most precious thing that someone can give to me."

Stiles' breath wheezed out of him. "I-" He paused. "I have no words."

"That's ok." Derek murmured. "Its nice, to shut you up for once." He grinned at Stiles but Stiles couldn't find it in himself to be mad at the remark. He did probably pull Derek in for a kiss by his hair harder than he intended, however.

"I don't see the gallon of lube you promised." Derek teased.

"Well it's not a _gallon_ because that would be weird and probably fairly costly." Stiles pointed out. "But there is some in the nightstand."

"Good to know." Derek murmured but made no move to get it. When Stiles reached up for it, Derek grabbed his wrist and held it up above his head before doing the same with his other wrist. "Stay there." He said softly.

"And if I don't?" Stiles challenged.

"You'll regret it." Derek replied easily before pushing himself off the bed and standing. In one smooth move he took off his boxers and sweatpants and rejoined Stiles on the bed.

"Oh, I like this." Stiles breathed out in a small voice and reached for Derek's shoulders.

Then his hands were pressed back into the mattress. "That's one." Derek warned.

"One?" Stiles swallowed when Derek's eyes glittered and it had nothing to do with a color change in his eyes. "One what?" He asked.

Instead of answering, Derek leaned forward and kissed him, deeply, and Stiles forgot for a brief moment everything else.

Then Derek pulled away and tipped Stiles' head back and kissed his neck and made his way down his chest. He paused for a minute and reached over to the nightstand and found the lube.

Underneath a stash of Legos.

Derek held up one of the blocks in his hand and looked at Stiles. "Are these yours or Emeri's?" He asked.

Stiles shrugged. "It's a fifty fifty split, I suppose." Then he caught sight of the black wrapper of a condom and raised his eyebrow. "I thought werewolves couldn't get sick? Does that not apply to STDs?"

"It does." Derek said easily. "But I plan on making this so long and so good, you won't be able to move and I won't want to clean up after us."

"Oh." Stiles said in a small whisper.

Derek shook his hand and tossed the block away and went back to Stiles' torso, licking and kissing whatever he could reach until he reached the tops of his Stiles' boxers. There was a brief tear and Stiles whimpered when he realized that Derek used his claws to tear them off of Stiles. There was a brief breeze and then Derek was licking the length of Stiles and Stiles could feel him growling again, this time through his legs, that had somehow wound themselves around Derek's upper body. Then Stiles' hands were in Derek's hair and then-

The sweet warmth of Derek's mouth was gone and he was above Stiles again. This time his eyes were red and he was grinning.

"That's two." Derek whispered and pressed Stiles' hands back into the mattress. "I would make sure you keep them there. I'm not sure you'd make it past three."

"Three what-?" Stiles tried but Derek's mouth was back on his dick and there was the warm, gentle push of Derek's finger on his hole and he forgot, once more, what it was he was trying to ask. Stiles tried to focus on what he was asking but Derek's tongue and his fingers kept distracting him and the slow, lazy coil of pleasure that was unsnaking inside of him as he gripped Derek's shoulders.

Then he was blinking his eyes opened and Derek was above him again, pressing his hands into the mattress. "Three." He murmured and he was gone again, and there was warmth again and it didn't _matter_ what Derek was counting as long as he-

And then he was gone, his hand squeezing the base of Stiles' dick, to stave off the edge. Stiles' eyes snapped open and Derek grinned. "One." Derek said.

"What are you- are you counting-?" And then Stiles' eyes closed as Derek's finger breeched him and found that one spot that made him see stars and breathe harshly and arch his back and make noises that he wouldn't be proud of in the morning.

And once again, Derek's fingers were gone and there was no physical contact _anywhere_ and when he opened his eyes again, Derek was smirking down at him. "Two."

Stiles reached down for himself, but Derek shook his head. "You really want to go for four?" He asked.

Stiles groaned out loud in frustration and flexed his hands against the sheets.

"Good." Derek breathed and then his hands were back, though Derek purposely kept away from the spot that that had lit Stiles up from the inside out. Instead, Derek was focused on stretching Stiles meticulously, but slowly and gently. Derek watched him carefully, listened to his heartbeat and when it edged up just a little too high, Derek took his hands off of him once more.

" _Argh_!" Stiles growled but he didn't move, other than spreading his legs wider and arching his back. He didn't beg though, Derek had to give him credit for that.

"Three." Derek murmured and leaned over to find the condom that he had dropped earlier. He rolled into onto himself and leaned over Stiles. He licked his bottom lip and Stiles opened his eyes and looked up at Derek. "You don't come until I say so, ok?" Derek said.

Stiles slowly nodded.

"Good." Derek replied and smiled. "Very good." He rubbed the head of his cock against Stiles' entrance and Stiles pushed back, tried to get him inside.

"How do you want to do this? You want it on your back?" Derek asked and kissed the corner of Stiles' mouth. "Or you want to get on your hands and knees?"

"Like this." Stiles murmured. "Please."

Derek nodded. "Ok." Then he took himself into his hand and guided himself into Stiles and pushed.

It was almost too much, being surrounded like this in Stiles and hearing him chant Derek's name and arch into him. Stiles kept his hands where Derek had pressed them earlier and even Derek had to be a little more impressed.

"You can touch me." Derek murmured and Stiles wrapped one arm around Derek's neck and pulled Derek in closer with a hand on his ass. When Derek was fully inside of Stiles, he let out a long breath.

"Fuck me." Stiles begged.

"Yeah, ok." Derek nodded and buried his face in Stiles' neck and gripped his hips. He pushed inside of him and pulled back, and kept up a vicious pace, one that kept nailing Stiles' prostate without missing a beat. Derek knew he couldn't hold back much longer so he tipped his head up and whispered in Stiles' ear, "Come for me."

It was three strokes later and Stiles was clinging to Derek and babbling things about _perfect_ and _beautiful_ and _more_. Then Derek came, clinging to Stiles just as much, gasping and pulling Stiles as close as he could get him and riding that endless wave of pleasure until finally he regained some semblance of control over his own body and looked down at Stiles.

"That was-" Stiles let out a shaky sigh.

"Yeah." Derek said and nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They are taking me to LegoLand!" Emeri hooted and danced in Stiles' arms.
> 
> "I'm so jealous." Stiles said honestly.
> 
> Behind them, Derek groaned.

When Stiles woke up and rolled over, he winced at the sore muscles that obviously hadn't been used in a long time. The morning light was filtering through the tree outside his window and Stiles was momentarily embarrassed that he had forgotten to close the windows.

But when he looked over at Derek, Stiles silently blamed anyone for forgetting the damn curtains.

Derek was waking up and he was smacking his lips together adorably and rubbing his face. Stiles, watched, fascinated, when there was the slightest hint of fangs peeking out from Derek's mouth and then the long, sinuous stretch of muscles.

"You're staring." Derek grumbled, his voice scratchy from sleep.

"You're worth staring at." Stiles pointed out.

Derek opened one eye and Stiles grinned at him. Derek pushed his face away and Stiles laughed.

"None of that. We have to go talk to Scott and then go get Emeri." Derek reminded him. "Shower. Food. Then the rest."

 _None of that_ apparently didn't include blow jobs in the shower and Stiles was delighted.

When they entered the hall, Boyd was reading a book and drinking some coffee in front of Scott's room.

"Hey." Boyd said softly.

"Hey." Stiles and Derek replied.

Boyd raised an eyebrow when he saw how close the two of them were walking, but he didn't actually comment. "Erica was teaching Emeri how to fight with kamas last time I saw them. You might want to go get her before Erica turns her into the world's youngest assassin."

Stiles shrugged. "Eh."

Boyd smirked and Derek was pushing the door open to Scott's room.

Allison was still there, but she was standing at the window this time. Scott's eyes fluttered open for a moment.

"What's the verdict?" Stiles asked and sat down next to Scott.

"He said yes." Allison said.

Derek's face went impossibly serious but the tension seemed to bleed out of his shoulders. "Ok. Is Melissa around?"

"She said to call her when you're ready." Allison said. She was already gathering all their things together into a bag.

"Ready?" Stiles asked.

"We gotta take Scott out of here." Derek said and flipped open his phone. "Isaac. Get the basement ready."

There was a reply and Derek nodded.

"Yeah, can we- hold on." Derek turned the phone from his mouth. "Stiles, can Lydia and Erica take Emeri on a short vacation or something? Somewhere that she won't-"

"Uh, yeah." Stiles said and nodded. "Lydia has power of attorney. She knows-" Stiles paused, "Well, she knows."

Derek smiled at him gently. "Thanks." He said.

Stiles gave him a small smile and nodded. He turned back to Scott and put his head on the rail near Scott's ear. "You're going to get better, bro. You're probably going to be the closest thing to Wolverine that we're going to get. That's so fucking cool."

Even though Scott's eyes were closed, his mouth quirked up.

A few moments later, John and Melissa entered the room.

"Ready?" Melissa asked.

Derek nodded.

"Ambulance is waiting." John said.

Melissa began to unhook all the wires and machines around Scott and before Stiles could figure out what was going on, they were pushing Scott's bed down the hall and into an elevator and into a loading bay. Scott was loaded up quickly and Melissa signed some paperwork from another nurse and then-

They were gone.

"Come on." Derek said and pulled Stiles along.

"Where are we going?" Stiles asked.

"Home." Derek said.

***

Stiles had never been to Derek's house before but he couldn't say he was surprised at the design when they pulled up. A huge craftsman house with a wraparound porch and a giant, manicured lawn. There was a huge oak tree with a swing hanging from one of the branches.

In the driveway, Erica was tossing a suitcase into a little red sports car and Lydia and Laura were exiting the front door. Cora was following them, with Emeri on her lap. They went down the ramp at a startlingly fast pace, much to Emeri's glee. When she caught sight of Stiles, she leaped from Cora's lap and ran down the driveway.

"Daddy!" She screamed.

"Pudding cup!" He screamed back. He didn't miss the way the wolves tried to hide their winces at their greeting.

Emeri threw herself at Derek who caught her easily. He hefted her up and tossed her in the air before handing her over to Stiles. "Guess what?" She whispered.

"What?" Stiles whispered back.

"Erica and Lydia and Laura said since I am doing so good in school and karate, they are taking me for a surprise." She said.

"What kind of surprise?" Stiles asked and felt a hand in his back pocket. He turned to see Lydia pulling his wallet out of his pocket and watched her pull out all of his credit cards. She offered him a smile before putting his wallet back and putting his cards in her purse.

"They are taking me to LegoLand!" Emeri hooted and danced in Stiles' arms.

"I'm so jealous." Stiles said honestly.

Behind them, Derek groaned.

"Do you have everything you need?" Stiles asked.

"Lydia and Laura said they would get my stuff." She said and wrapped her arms around Stiles' neck. "Come on, Derek!" She said and he felt her lift one arm to beckon Derek into the hug. Stiles found himself in the middle of the two of them. "Lydia said Scott is sick but that Derek is going to help him get better." She whispered.

"That's true." Stiles said.

"Is Derek going to make Scott a monster?" She asked.

Stiles squeezed his eyes shut. As a parent, he had learned that children really do say the darndest thing at the literal worst possible times. He flashed back on all the worst things that Emeri, in her formative years, had said. He opened his mouth to try and find a way around this, but there were no parenting guidelines for this sort of thing.

But he was cut off.

"It's ok." Emeri said. "It's like when we were watching Captain America and the doctor gave him the super soldier serum. Remember? He said that it doesn't just make the muscles bigger but everything else too. Like, if Cap had been bad, it would have made that part of him bigger too. But he wasn't. Scott isn't bad. Scott's the best. So when Derek gives him the super soldier serum, it's not going to be like Scott's going to be a _bad_ monster."

"That's right." Derek whispered.

"Not all monsters are bad, daddy." Emeri said. "And if it helps Scott, it isn't bad. Right?"

"Right." Stiles replied and Derek squeezed them both.

"All right, chicken wing." Erica said and everyone pretended they didn't see her wiping her face. "Hop in. We got a drive."

Everyone said their goodbyes just as the ambulance pulled up. When they opened the doors, Allison helped Emeri tell Scott goodbye and carried a weepy Emeri back over to Lydia who buckled her in and then the four of them were gone, Emeri waving from the rear windshield.

Boyd and Isaac were wheeling the gurney into the house and Cora trailed after them. Allison, John, and Melissa followed them in. The ambulance left and Derek and Stiles were left in the driveway.

"This changes everything." Derek told Stiles. "I just want you to know-"

"I get it." Stiles said and nodded. "We're surrounded. On all sides."

Derek watched him.

"I don't know how it works, but for all intents and purposes, we're in, aren't we? Once this happens with Scott, that's it. That's the decision for me and Emeri. My boyfriend, the big, daddy wolf. My best friend, my _brother_ , in his pack. His wife, she's been in there all along. My parents, they knew the entire time, they've been helping you all along. My entire social circle consists of the supernatural. Except for Lydia. And Jackson and Kira."

Derek remained silent.

"I get it. I'm good with it."

"Are you sure?"

"There's no safer place for us now, is there? That's what you said."

"You can still back out of this. I can call the girls back and you and Emeri can-"

"I can't leave you." Stiles interrupted. "Or Scott. Ever. That's nonnegotiable, Hale. Don't ever suggest it again or I'll find something to hurt you with. Are we clear?" His voice was hard and his eyes were defiant.

"Crystal." Derek muttered, feeling chastised.

"Good."

They turned to the house and went inside


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Didn't even have to use the chains. Just locked the door." He said.  
> As he left again, Allison and Stiles exchanged a look.  
> "That's good?" Stiles guessed.

The inside of the house was huge and airy. There was so many couches and reading places near the windows, Stiles could picture each of the occupants of the house curling up with a book or even for a nap in the sun. There were handmade quilts and blankets strewn across everything. The kitchen was clearly customized for Cora's needs. There were ramps for her chair and an elevator that went up to the second story and down to the basement. That must have helped getting Scott downstairs too, Stiles realized. Not that most of the occupants of the house couldn't carry him, he thought a second later.

He was still adjusting.

"We'll be here for a few days." Derek told him. "I'll give you the tour later."

Stiles nodded. He was beginning to feel the seriousness of what Derek was about to do weigh on his shoulders. Derek rubbed his back.

They went down a flight of stairs and Derek led them through a large game room into an almost hidden door in the back.

Inside, Scott was laying on a twin sized mattress, all the tubes and wires gone with the exception of the oxygen. Melissa stood off to the side, under John's arm, clutching his other hand. Allison was on her knees next to Scott, whispering words of encouragement in his ear. Boyd and Isaac stood off to the side and the only sign of anxiety that was coming off from them was Boyd rubbing Isaac's back in much the same way Derek had done for Stiles moments earlier. Stiles couldn't help but note Cora's absence.

"You don't have to be here for this." Derek whispered to Stiles.

"As long as I can, I'd like to be." Stiles whispered back. "Unless its breaking some kind of rule?"

Derek shook his head. "It can be- violent." He muttered. "Bloody."

"He can barely raise his head."

"Boyd nearly bled out but when he was bitten, he dented a foot of solid steel." Isaac said.

"Isaac was beaten almost into a coma and he tore through a train." Boyd said.

Stiles blinked at him. "You mean-"

"A train. A literal train." Boyd replied.

"Is it safe?" Stiles asked Derek.

"I'll keep you safe." Derek said and gently pushed Stiles over to Isaac and Boyd. He guided Melissa and John over to the same spot and Stiles wrapped an arm around Melissa as well. He could feel her trembling.

Derek approached Allison, who was still kneeling next to Scott and whispering to him. Stiles wasn't sure Scott could even hear her anymore.

Derek knelt next to Allison and she turned to look at him.

"Is it going to hurt?" She asked.

"Yes." Derek said.

Allison sucked in a huge breath and nodded. Stiles understood that the best thing to do with Allison was to tell her the brutal truth but-

This was _Scott_.

"He might not recognize you. He'll be angry, violent. It's just the way it is. But he'll come back to us. Ok?" Derek continued.

Allison nodded. Derek tugged her to her feet by both her hands and kissed her knuckles before Isaac shuffled forward and pulled her back to the rest of them. Allison gripped Stiles hand hard.

When Derek knelt over Scott, Stiles saw that he was pulling the pain from him and making Scott open his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Derek asked.

"I'd really like to breathe." Scott said and Stiles winced when he heard the rattle and wheeze in his chest. God knew what the others were hearing. "Please." Scott added.

"Ok. Did you hear me tell Allison-"

"I figured it would hurt." Scott said.

"Ok." Derek paused. "See you in a few days, buddy."

Scott nodded and his eyes closed.

***

Stiles isn't proud of his reaction but it seemed at least John and Allison were prepared for it. His vision went gray when he saw the blood and everything went spotty when Derek stood and looked at them with blood smeared over his mouth and cheeks.

But everything came back into focus as Derek quickly bandaged the bite and Scott's breathing became harsher and sweat dotted his face. Melissa took a step forward but Boyd stopped her.

"He's fine." Boyd said. "I can hear his heart. He's doing good."

Melissa faltered and John pulled her back.

"Ok. Let's get everyone to the door." Derek said calmly and gestured to the doorway.

"What about you?" Stiles squeaked when he saw Scott's complexion gaining color and then there were _teeth_.

"I'll be fine." Derek said and wiped his hands on his jeans.

Claws. Those were new. That was definitely an update.

Stiles realized he was being pushed-pulled-dragged to the door when Scott sat up. There was a gleam in his eye that Stiles didn't recognize and since they had known each other since they were _three fucking years old_ that was saying something.

"Go." Derek urged calmly.

Scott stood and there was a grace there that Stiles had begun to associate with Derek and his family and it shook Stiles to his core.

"Too late." Isaac muttered and Stiles realized that they were shifting too.

Scott charged at their group and Stiles pushed Allison behind him (which, _ha_ , let's be real, Allison could probably handle wolf Scott better than he could and frankly, it was a sexist move, but he didn't want to see his friend hurt either) but Derek blocked his charge and _roared_.

It dropped Stiles to his knees, along with Allison, John, and Melissa. They covered their ears and when they looked up, Derek, Isaac, and Boyd were surrounding Scott, who was also on his knees in the middle of their group.

"Go." Derek growled.

They went.

***

Later that night, closer to midnight, Derek emerged from the basement, his tshirt in tatters, Boyd and Isaac trooping after him.

They went straight to the kitchen and began eating everything that Stiles and Allison had made that day.

"How is he?" Melissa asked.

Derek nodded, his mouth full of chicken. "Another day and he'll be fine." He said and shoved some potatoes in his mouth. With his other hand, he was piling food onto a tray. He grabbed a plastic bag and threw a bunch of bottled water in there. "Didn't even have to use the chains. Just locked the door." He said.

As he left again, Allison and Stiles exchanged a look.

"That's good?" Stiles guessed.

"He had to chain all of us." Boyd said.

"He had to use extra chains for Boyd." Cora added. She had been keeping them up to date on what was going on in the basement. How they were talking to Scott, gentling him down from the edge time after time, how Derek had to assert himself as the alpha more than once. She had reassured them that Scott was doing surprisingly well. How, with all the others but with Erica the most, Derek had taken days to get them to register human language.

***

That night, Stiles was partially asleep in Derek's giant bed when the door opened and Derek snuck in. He showered and changed before slipping under the sheets behind Stiles and curling up around him. There was a satisfied rumble from Derek, or what Stiles perceived as satisfied anyway, and a sigh.

"He's doing good." Derek promised.

"He isn't hurt?" Stiles asked.

"No." Derek said. "What you saw was just the initial part of the wolf getting used to a different form. It happens to all of us. He's great. Perfect." Derek paused. "Probably the most laid back wolf I've ever seen, to be honest."

"That's Scotty." Stiles agreed.

Derek curled up even closer and then they were asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wolf Creek Fighters, Derek Hale speaking." He said softly.  
> "Hey, Derek?" Emeri asked.  
> "Yeah, baby?" Derek said and his voice cracked.  
> "Can you come get me from school? Dad isn't here."

The summer passed in a blur of late nights, of listening to Derek and the others howl in the woods, learning how to cook from Laura, watching Scott learn how to _run_ for the first time in his life, spending more and more time with Emeri as she learned and advanced under Derek's tutelage, and barbecues.

So many barbecues.

Stiles' favorite memory was of Jackson looking over from his favorite lounger where Kira was laid out on side and Derek was on the other side. The three of them had sunglasses and hadn't moved in hours. Stiles and Emeri were in the pool while the others wandered around the pool and gazebo.

"So are you guys werewolves or what?" Jackson asked.

Even Emeri looked astonished.

No one had said anything to Jackson or Kira.

"Yep." Derek said.

"Cool." Jackson said. "Pay up, Yukimura. I told you they weren't vampires."

Unfortunately, Stiles was now privy to Scott and Allison's sex life since they were trying _very hard_ to get pregnant as soon as possible.

Derek walked away as often as he could.

***

"Is pink in or not?" Stiles asked Emeri. They were in L.A. shopping for school clothes and having a small vacation.

"Eh." She shrugged and frowned at t-shirt that said _I don't like math, I like boys_.

"Oh my god." Stiles hissed.

"Take a picture and sent it to Lydia." Derek said.

Stiles did and immediately got a call demanding the details of the shirt and where it was being sold before she hung up.

They went on and before it was all said and done, Emeri had a brand new wardrobe.

"Gotta donate the stuff you don't wear when we get home." Stiles reminded her.

"Yup." She agreed. "Can we get a hot dog?" She asked.

"Ooh!" Derek agreed.

"It's like having two children sometimes." Stiles muttered.

"I could say the same thing." Derek agreed.

"Me too." Emeri agreed.

Stiles stared at them open mouthed as they crossed the street, hand in hand, to the hot dog stand that Emeri had pointed out. He watched Derek order for the both of them and pay, like it was the most natural thing in the world. He watched his daughter carefully accept the hot dog from Derek's hands after he had applied the ketchup and relish, no mustard, and watched Derek wipe the ketchup from her fingers.

"Oh hell." Stiles muttered.

"Are they yours?" A young woman next to him asked.

Stiles nodded.

"Very beautiful." She said and handed him a card. "If you live in the area, I represent models of all ages." She offered him a smile and crossed the street with him when the light turned again. She waved at him and he nodded back.

"Who was that?" Derek asked. There was a smear of mustard next to his lip and Emeri tugged him down so she could wipe it away.

"Modeling agent."

Derek laughed at Stiles' exasperated look.

***

"Fix that stance, Logan, and it'll be great." Derek said.

The four year old in front of him dropped his hands and looked down. He stuck his tongue out and screwed up his face in concentration and Derek let him have a quiet moment while he fixed his feet and then he looked up at Derek, triumphant.

"Perfect." Derek said and grinned.

Derek ran a three to five year old group from three to four in the afternoon and he probably got the most enjoyment out of them, second only to Emeri.

Emeri, who had just started fifth grade two days earlier, was now leading classes.

Derek shook his head. Emeri grew by leaps and bounds and it was astounding to watch. Cora and Laura had the added benefit of being werewolves and a supernatural awareness of their surroundings. Emeri didn't have that and she was still doing just as well as Cora had when they were at the same age.

Halfway through class, Erica stuck her head out of the office and got Derek's attention. Derek signaled for Boyd to take over and jogged over to Erica.

"What's up?" He asked.

Everything had been going so good, so perfect, with Stiles and Emeri that he would be a liar if he hadn't been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And for some reason, right then, Derek could feel the creeping anxiety like a snake wrapping itself around his neck and stomach.

Erica shook her head and handed him the phone.

"Derek Hale here." He answered. The number had displayed _Private_ on the screen when he glanced at it.

" _Little pig, little pig, let me in-"_ A strange voice hissed down the line. It was nasally and gruff at the same time and Derek opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted.

"Leave the town by sundown." The voice said and it hung up.

Derek looked down at the phone and up at Erica.

They both jumped when it rang again.

This time Emeri's name came up. He swiped it to answer.

"Wolf Creek Fighters, Derek Hale speaking." He said softly.

"Hey, Derek?" Emeri asked.

"Yeah, baby?" Derek said and his voice cracked.

"Can you come get me from school? Dad isn't here."

All the noise of the studio faded away and even Erica's grip on his arm seemed far away.

"Yeah." Derek said softly. "I'll be there in a minute. Don't go anywhere. With anyone. Got it? Just me."

"Yep." Emeri said, cheerful as ever. She hung up.

Derek tore off his top and jerked a tshirt out of Erica's hands. She pushed him out the door with promises to call everyone.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The woman looked between Derek and Parrish and the way Emeri was cradled in Derek's arms. She looked like she might try and take Emeri from Derek's arms and he could feel the wolf that he usually kept at bay so easily, push forward with a surprising amount of strength.

Derek wasn't sure he had ever driven so recklessly in his life. He wasn't even surprised when a cop started following him, lights flashing.

But Derek didn't pull over.

He pulled into the school parking lot with a screech and Emeri's face was surprised when she saw the Derek and Deputy Parrish behind him. A slim woman was standing with her and she regarded Derek with suspicion.

"Derek?" Emeri said slowly.

He ran to her and scooped her up and the woman beside her cleared her throat. "I'm not sure I can allow you-"

"Try and stop me." Derek hissed, his arms still around Emeri, cradling her close.

"There's been an emergency." Deputy Parrish picked up from just behind Derek. "If there's an issue, I advise you to take it up with the Sheriff."

The woman looked between Derek and Parrish and the way Emeri was cradled in Derek's arms. She looked like she might try and take Emeri from Derek's arms and he could feel the wolf that he usually kept at bay so easily, push forward with a surprising amount of strength.

Luckily Parrish stepped in between them.

"I understand your concern-" Parrish began in a placating voice but Derek turned and put Emeri in the car. She buckled herself in and they left the parking lot.

"Where's dad?" Emeri whispered.

"I don't know." Derek admitted.

***

Without any further plans, Derek drove home. When he got there, Laura and Isaac stepped out of the house, with Scott, Allison, and John on their heels.

"What happened?" John demanded.

Isaac ushered Emeri inside who was watching everyone with big round eyes.

Derek explained the call and the one followed by Emeri.

"He's not at home and he's not answering his phone."

"Who was the last one to see him?" Derek asked.

"We had lunch. I left to go grocery shopping." Scott said. "That was probably at one. He was fine. Talking about Emeri's birthday."

"Let's start there." Derek said and let out a long and slow breath. "I need everyone with me."

"What about Emeri?" Laura asked.

Derek thought for a moment and turned to John. "The station?" He asked.

"Short of you guys, probably your best bet. I'll call Lydia, have her meet us there." John agreed. He looked towards his car and Isaac was bringing Emeri and Cora out. "Find him." He ordered Derek. Then he hesitated and went to his car. When he came back he held it out to Derek.

"That's a gun." Derek announced.

"You are an observant one." John said dryily.

"I don't know how to use one of those." Derek said, his eye still on the weapon.

"Give it to Stiles."

After a moment Derek took it from John. "I will."

***

When Stiles opened his eyes, he was looking at an old man with dark eyes.

He coughed in the old man's face.

Whatever he had been drugged with was making his mouth dry and he figured it was the old man's fault, so he didn't apologize. He just wiped his mouth on his shoulder and sat back.

"Would you like to know why you're here?" The old man asked.

His voice was grating.

"I don't care." Stiles muttered.

"Well you should start caring or that pretty little girl of yours-"

Stiles laughed.

"You think this is funny?" The man demanded and stood.

"Oh, no. I think this is hilarious." Stiles said. "I think this is fucking hysterical-"

The man backhanded Stiles so fiercely, the chair he was tied to rocked on its legs dangerously. The chair was old and extremely uncomfortable.

"Go get her. Try to bring her here. Do it." Stiles said and spat on the ground. "I fucking dare you."

"Are you so careless with the ones you love?" The man asked and sat down.

"Nah. But I know who they are. I know what they can do." Stiles lowered his voice and leaned forward. "I guess you know about the Hales, right?"

"Abominations, all of them." The man replied.

Stiles grinned. "You took one of their favorite humans. They're coming for me."

"Five wolves against us is nothing." A man said from the back of the room.

"Five?" Stiles leaned back and blinked. "Oh, I guess you didn't get the update. There's more than that now."


	16. Chapter 16

They started at the house. The trail led them out to the backyard where it seemed to split up, four different ways.

"Um?" Isaac said.

Derek went back inside and found the laundry room in shambles. He could only assume that they took some of Stiles' dirty clothes and sent four different people four different ways.

"They are trying to confuse us and separate us." Boyd concluded.

"What do we do?" Scott asked.

"We each take a trail. Scott, you stick with me." Derek ordered. "Anyone finds anything, signal to the rest of us but don't try to go after them without help."

"We'll save the bad guy for you, boss." Erica said.

Derek winked at her and then they all split up.

***

"How long do you think you can hold out? I've already sent men after your little girl. You can only hope that those monsters are coming for you. What are you going to do then?" The old man asked.

There was blood on his face and probably a pretty bad scrape on his cheek. His side was throbbing and Stiles knew a headache of monumental proportions was on its way.

But he also knew that he wasn't there to pick up Emeri.

Emeri would have called Derek, who would start looking for him immediately.

If Emeri couldn't get Derek, she would call Lydia who would probably get the FBI and National Guard out here.

He just had to hold on.

"Incoming." A man said from near a door.

Stiles was in a burnt out shell of an old house, his back to a boarded up window. They were in the remains of a living room.

"Hale?" The man asked and stood. He made Stiles stand with him and put Stiles between him and the door.

"No- it's-"

Then the screams started and were accompanied by a roar.

It wasn't Derek. It was Scott.

Over the past few months, Cora had taught him and Emeri how to tell each one apart from their howls. Now they had competitions for who could guess correctly.

Five guards outside and Stiles had the utmost confidence in his best friend. For good reason too. Scott had been training with Derek and Emeri and now he had the teeth and the claws to help him.

Scott came in through the only entrance. He tore through the last guard and barely winced when a bullet winged him.

He stood in front of Stiles and the old man, pacing, growling, soaked in blood, eyes gleaming brightly.

"You're a new puppy. You waiting for Alpha Hale?" The man asked. He had a gun shoved under Stiles' throat. "Well, it'll be you and his dead body-"

Then Stiles was on the floor, halfway across the room, near Scott's feet. His senses took a second to catch up before he realized that Derek had smashed through the boarded up window behind the old man and pushed Stiles away and broken the old man's arm as he jerked the gun from his hand. Scott pulled him to his feet easily and they both watched Derek take the guy apart.

Literally.

When he was done, he jerked his head to the exit and Stiles held up his hands. Scott sliced through the rope easily and they were leaving the house, in the middle of the woods.

"Who does this place belong to?" Stiles asked, feeling a little number over what he had just seen.

"I don't know." Scott said.

"It's private property." Derek said and pointed to a sign nailed to a tree.

"Let's go." Scott muttered and they all turned south, towards a hidden path.

Scott led the way, Stiles in the middle, Derek at his back.

"Where's Emeri?" Stiles asked.

"Your dad and Lydia have her at the station. With Cora." Derek said.

"Oh good. Karate kid with a bunch of police officers and guns."

"And Lydia." Scott added.

"And Lydia."

***

"Is dad missing?" Emeri demanded for the third time, her voice hard and her eyes flinty when she stared at John, Parrish, and Lydia.

Cora reached over and took Emeri's hand. "Yes." She said.

John, Parrish, and Lydia all turned to gape at her.

"Is Derek going after him?" Emeri asked and her hand tightened on Cora's.

"Everyone is going after him." Cora said.

Emeri nodded and let out a breath. "Are they coming for me?" She asked.

Cora shook her head. "Not that we know of."

"But you aren't for sure?" Emeri asked.

"Who is going to come for you when you're in here?" John asked her.

"An idiot." Lydia said.

A bell rang above the front door and none of them paid it any attention until they heard Allison's raised voice.

And then the shots rang out.

***

"I want a beer." Stiles huffed.

"You need water." Derek said.

"Jackson's been trying to infuse wolfsbane into the beer. To get the shifters drunks." Scott said. "He says he's pretty close to making that apple cider kind that Boyd likes."

"That'll be a sight to see. My uncle Peter-" Derek started but then both him and Scott stopped, mid step and Stiles stumbled into Scott.

Then Scott was twisting and pulling at Stiles and Derek was pushing them both down.

"What-" Stiles said but Derek clamped his hand over Stiles' mouth.

Then he saw a thick river of blood winding its way down Derek's arm.

Scott and Stiles stared at Derek's arm.

"Scott, go." Derek hissed.

They all ducked when a bullet hit the tree next to them.

"But-"

"Go." Derek growled and there was a flash of his eyes and Scott was up and gone.

***

By the time John and Parrish left the office, a guy, about Allison's age, had a gun pressed to a teenage kid that had come in to interview a deputy for a school project. Allison had her gun trained on the guy.

"Do you know him?" Cora asked John who had his own gun out.

"Matt Daehler. We wanted him for the letters that Stiles kept getting but there was no proof and he moved."

"Not far enough." Cora muttered and wheeled her chair out of Lydia's way.

"The girl." Matt said. He was sweaty and looked pale and had his eyes trained on Emeri. "The girl and I'll let this one go."

"Over my dead body." Allison hissed.

Matt pressed the gun harder to the deputy's head.

"Give me the girl or this kid gets it!" Matt screamed, spit flying everywhere.

"Not happening!" Parrish snapped.

There was a horrified silence and Cora watched as the guy's trigger finger tightened.

"Ok!" Lydia said suddenly. She had Emeri's hand in hers and everyone turned to look at Lydia. "Ok." She whispered and Emeri looked up at her. Lydia looked down and there was a cool exchange there and Emeri squared her thin shoulders. "Just let the kid go."

"As soon as I have the girl." Matt replied.

Lydia nodded and John saw spots when she let go of Emeri's hand and Emeri took a step towards Matt. As soon as she was within his grasp, he let the teenager go and grabbed Emeri.

***

Derek stumbled and Stiles stopped them.

"No, we have to keep going." Derek huffed.

"You aren't going anywhere." Stiles said and Derek swayed on his feet and dropped. "What's wrong?" He asked. "You've never-"

"The bullet. Wolfsbane." Derek gasped and turned and spat out a mouth full of black goo.

"Oh." Stiles said in a small voice. He looked around the silent forest. "Are they close?"

Derek nodded and slumped over on his side.

Stiles felt a kind of calm steal over him.

"What I wouldn't give for a gun right now." Stiles muttered and looked around. He was having a hard time seeing, what with his eye being swollen shut, but from what he could tell, there was no cover, no cave, no place to stash Derek while he made a run for it.

Then Derek shoved something cool and weighty in his hands and when Stiles looked down he recognized his dad's 9mm.

"Forgot." Derek mumbled.

"Better late than never." Stiles reasoned.

"Run."

"Shut up."

"Stiles-"

"Derek, _shut up_."

***

It was over in less than three seconds.

Cora knew what Lydia was doing when she handed Emeri over to this Matt guy. She knew what Emeri was capable of but she was the only one to trust Emeri and her abilities enough to let her go.

In a swift move, Emeri took the hand that was holding the gun and aimed it away from them and there was a crack when Emeri broke that wrist and a helpless scream when she went for his knee next, kicking at it until it bent at an impossible angle. And then Emeri knocked him down to the ground and Cora knew she wouldn't forget the swift and silent way she moved, the way her heart remained steady, even as her favorite green sneakers landed blow after blow to Matt's face.

Until Allison caught up and swept in, pulled Emeri away.

Lydia and Cora looked down at the bloody mess that was Daehler and looked away.

***

Derek was unconscious and when Stiles risked a look down, he saw that Derek's arm was turning black.

"I like that arm." Stiles muttered. "Goes perfectly with the other one he has."

"Bullet." Derek muttered.

"Shush, baby. I'm working." Stiles said.

Derek fell silent.

A bullet landed in the tree next to Stiles' head.

Stiles returned fire, in the vague direction he thought the shooter could be. There was a rustle to his left and Stiles turned and aimed.

Nothing.

Then there was the overpowering smell of jasmine coming from the south and Stiles whirled again. This time, when he shot, he heard something stumble. He had either gotten a hit or close enough to scare the shooter.

A woman's wild laughter drifted down to them.

"Put it down, pretty!" Her voice called out. "I've got you and that thing cornered."

"You must be the ex!" Stiles called out and closed his eyes. He let out a low breath and listened. "Can't say I blame Derek for dumping you!"

There was a snort and Stiles turned and shot. There was a return shot and that's when he realized he was right; he must have hit her because he was standing out in the open and she still missed him.

"You ok up there?" He called out.

"Fuck off!" She snapped back and Stiles turned to her voice again and ran. He stumbled but he was closer than he realized when he found a woman holding her shoulder and smirking up at him behind a pair of trees. "Give me the alpha and I'll give you whatever you want-"

Stiles took a step forward. "Kate, right?"

She didn't reply.

"Doesn't matter. What are you going to give me if I give you him?" Stiles asked and pressed the gun to her throat.

"More money than you could ever dream. Just walk away."

Stiles grinned. "Money?" He asked.

"Five hundred thousand dollars." She promised him. "Just to walk away and don't look back." 

Stiles laughed. "I'm a millionaire, moron. I make that in a month." Then he pulled the trigger, stepped back and pulled it three more times.

He reached down, took her gun, and went back to Derek. He helped him to his feet and it took them another hour before they stumbled on Boyd.

"He's so heavy." Stiles panted.

Boyd smirked. "I'll send Isaac back for you."

Stiles nodded, pressed the bullets into Boyd's open palm, and waved them off.

Isaac and Erica showed up less than five minutes later and helped him find his way out of the forest and back home.

Where Emeri was waiting for him, excited and thrilled to tell her father about the first man she ever put in the hospital.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One Year Later

**One Year Later**

"I can't believe you are letting her out there. Alone. Without you." Scott said.

"I can see her." Stiles said and gestured to where he could see black uniform with the red and black belt cinched around her waist and the three wolves howling on the back.

"And it helps that she's almost a black belt, surrounded by black belts and her school?" Scott guessed.

He was wearing the same uniform but he must have been able to sense Stiles' fear. And with Derek on the mat near Emeri, in her last fight to win Best All Around Martial Artist in her division, Stiles was having trouble breathing. Lydia held his one hand but she hadn't said a word in the last half hour. Allison was clutching hers and Scott's baby who seemed just as strangely enthralled as the rest of the crowd was. Scott said that his brand new son, Steven, could sense the importance of something happening in his pack, even if he couldn't figure out all the details.

"I'm going to puke." Stiles whispered.

Scott already had a bag in his hand.

"That kid is not under thirteen." Allison whispered. "That kid has to be at least twenty."

The size difference was indeed huge. The parents that were surrounding Stiles and the others murmured their agreement. Almost all of them had kids in the same school. This was the last fight of the day but many of the other students and their parents had stayed to cheer Emeri on.

It was a five point match, best out of three.

The kid won the first match, easily. He had a longer reach than Emeri but he wasn't cruel. He was in and out, striking in obvious places that Stiles knew that Emeri knew how to cover.

When the round ended, Emeri looked up, found her father's eyes and smiled.

Stiles winked back but clutched Scott's hand.

Emeri came back in the second round, using her speed and smaller size to her advantage.

She won, 3-5.

Scott let out a breath.

Stiles realized that Allison had a hand on his head, clutching his hair. He didn't say anything, because he didn't think she knew what she was doing.

"I have never been so stressed out in my life." Lydia whispered.

There was a rolling sound of agreement around them.

The last round seemed to last forever, on and on, point after point scored until they were tied up, 4-4.

"Next point wins the tournament!" The judge called out.

"No shit." Stiles hissed.

Derek had Emeri in the corner, his finger around the strap of her head gear and was speaking to her. She nodded. He flashed his eyes, a dangerous, stupid move, but Stiles knew better than most how humans rationalized the weirdest shit.

Emeri went back in and did the unthinkable.

She charged the larger kid with a scream, ducked a wild roundhouse kick and landed a hard kick of her own to his chest.

"Point!" The judge yelled over the screams and the cheers. "Team Wolf Creek Fighters wins the tournament! Emeri Stilinski is named new Best All Around!"

The older kid took off his head gear and approached Emeri, a smile on his face, congratulations on his lips, and his hand extended. Emeri, frozen, still in her fighting stance, did not seem to process information until the kid repeated it and she hugged him. He hugged her back before leaving the ring.

The name, the title, all of it, meant everything in the world to Emeri.

But everything in the world to Stiles was being lifted up and cheered on by the pack and the school and when Derek met Stiles' eyes from Boyd and Isaac's shoulders with Emeri on _his_ shoulders, he knew.

Derek knew.


End file.
